#first i must take my permit test

[burntcheerio]

Watching TTS! S1 E2 :)

I forgot being incredibly sheltered would cause her to not know things like booing

Methinks Cassandra is jealous of Eugene...she looks gay asf. also i hate the nickname Raps is that controversial or agreed upon

Rapunzel continues to be just like me !

Who is this Monty man and why doesn't he like Rapunzel :( did she kill his son or smth

Disguise shit makes me so anxiousss

Did he just say Dimberries? My man im pretty sure it's Bimberries but I'm hearing things

HA I WAS RIGHT IM NOT HEARING THINGS

Ngl he's so valid to be mad at Rapunzel for that!!! when she painted over his sign earlier it pissed me off a lil bit

okay the booing each other is cute tho :)

i'm writing this in class and ITCHING to watch more so you should get more soon

[howlingday]

Just A Talk

Ruby: Pyrrha? What are you and Nora doing here?

Nora: Hi, girls~!

Pyrrha: Professor Goodwitch called us in here to discuss something. She said it had something to do with our futures at Beacon Academy.

Weiss: So it wasn't just us?

Yang: That's kinda weird. I mean, me and Ruby are one thing, but all six of us?

Blake: It might be huntress training, since Jaune and Ren aren't here.

Goodwitch: How very astute, Miss Belladonna. And yes, you are correct on one thing. This is a training for you six huntresses in training. An important lesson I want to be sure you all learn.

Weiss: What is it?

Goodwitch: Inside this folder is important information about one of your fellow students at Beacon. This information isn't exactly confidential, BUT it is imperative that you learn what you can from them.

Nora: Ooh! Me, me, me! I want to see them first!

Goodwitch: (Hands folder) Inside are six photographs. Take one and then pass the folder along.

Nora: Aw~! It's a baby Jaune!

Pyrrha: Really?! I-I mean... Really?

Yang: Aw, look at the baby Vomit Boy~!

Blake: He is pretty adorable. But if Jaune is the student, what's the important information in these baby pictures? And aren't these supposed to be private?

Goodwitch: I am permitted by him to show as I please, though it must be these ones specifically. Any others require his express permission.

Weiss: So if he's letting you show them, then they must not be that embarrassing. But why show us? And why do you have this permission as a faculty member?

Goodwitch: It's not as a faculty member that I'm sharing these photos.

Ruby: Huh? What's that mean?

Goodwitch: Who is in those photos?

Ruby: Uh... Jaune and his... mom?

Goodwitch: Guess again.

Ruby: Jaune and his... sister? Aunt?

Goodwitch: Yes, his aunt. Do you notice something about his aunt? Anything familiar?

Pyrrha: Oh no...

Nora: Uh oh...

Yang: (Tugs collar)

Blake: Oh...

Weiss: Oh no...

Ruby: ...What? What are you guys talking about? It's just Jaune and his aunt who has blonde hair, wears glasses, and... has... green...

Ruby: (Lifts smiling photo)

Ruby: (Sees scowling face)

Ruby: Oh... So you're...

Goodwitch: Slow to perceive as usual, Ms. Rose. And yes, you are correct, and that is why I called you six in here. Not as your professor. (Glares) But as his aunt.

Pyrrha: Um, P-Professor Goodwitch, why are we called in here, exactly?

Goodwitch: To establish ground rules as his six closest female friends. Rule number one; I do not want to see any distractions. Jaune's attendance here at Beacon is one made of his own free will, and I will not stand by as his focus is disrupted from his desires.

Ruby: Huh?

Yang: No dating Vomit Boy.

Ruby: Oh.

Goodwitch: And that is another rule I wish to establish; there will be no further name calling from any of you. Not while I am within earshot. While I am around, you will not refer to him as anything other than his name.

Nora: Not even Jaune-Jaune?

Goodwitch: No.

Nora: Fearless leader?

Goodwitch: No.

Nora: Vomitron 6000?

Goodwitch: Do you intend to test my patience all day? I can stop taking things easy on you girls.

Ruby: She was taking it easy?

Pyrrha: Are there any other rules we have to follow while Jaune is attending Beacon.

Goodwitch: Just one more. Along with refraining from dating, I also expect you to also refrain from... making advances on him.

Blake: Advances such as?

Goodwitch: Writing love letters, inappropriate public displays of affection, exposing yourself to him.

Yang: Things were wild back when you were a student, huh, Auntie G?

Goodwitch: ...

Yang: Er, Professor Goodwitch?

Ruby: Wait a minute... Where's Velvet?

Goodwitch: Velvet? What about Miss Scarlatina?

Ruby: Well, shouldn't she be in here, too, since she's also Jaune's friend?

Goodwitch: ...Oh no.

--------------------------------------------

Jaune: Geez, Velvet, you're really huggy today, huh?

Velvet: (Nuzzling him) I just wanted to show you how much I appreciate you as my friend.

Jaune: Aw, thanks, Velvet!

[coochiequeens]

A patient said something she thought was in confidence and he (the doctor) shared it with staff? And now TRAs are harassing a woman fighting breast cancer? That doctor needs to lose his license for violating patient confidentiality

A woman in Oregon receiving treatment for breast cancer has been dropped by her health clinic of 12 years because she expressed views critical of gender ideology.

Marlene Barbera, who is scheduled for a mastectomy later this month, told Reduxx that she had commented on the presence of a transgender pride flag that was hanging in the waiting room of the Richmond Family Medical Clinic in Portland last year.

Barbera explained that she had written a message to her doctor on MyChart, a website where patients can access their personal health information, describing that she found the inclusion of “political messaging in a healthcare setting” as “offensive.”

She, like a growing number of women, has “gender critical” views, rejecting modern ideologies that conflate biological sex and “gender identity.” Barbera mentioned she had faced rape and death threats from trans activists on X (formerly Twitter), many of whom would have identified with that same flag.

Initially, the Doctor, who she revealed had been her primary care provider for over ten years, said that he would not take the flag down. But while Barbera had initially believed their correspondence to be private, she later discovered that the note to her physician had been viewed and shared by other staff at the clinic.

This June, while attempting to leave a message for her doctor regarding blood test results, the issue continued to escalate. A receptionist at the clinic, who Barbera speculated was transgender, did not permit her to be patched through to her doctor.

“The person insisted I make an appointment. I have breast cancer and consequently an abundance of medical appointments so I did not want to do that. They got frustrated with my ‘non-compliance’ and hung up on me,” Barbera told Reduxx.

“Thinking it might have been in error, I called back. I was told I was ‘not allowed’ and that I must speak to the previous person who had hung up on me. I declined as things hadn’t gone well the first time.”

She then questioned whether the refusal from the first receptionist was due to her previous complaint about the trans pride flag in the lobby.

“I asked, guessing ‘did I hurt the trans person’s feelings?’ And the receptionist took offense to the question, asking ‘what did you say‘ slowly and with great emphasis.”

Weeks later, Barbera received an email from Oregon Health Science University’s (OHSU) Stein Berger, informing her that she had been “discharged from receiving medical care at the Richmond Family Medicine Clinic,” effective immediately, with services to be cut off from all OHSU Family Medicine Clinics, including immediate care clinics, from July 29th. The email did in fact specify that she was being removed “because of ongoing disrespectful and hurtful remarks about our LGBTQ community and staff.”

Barbera told Reduxx that the incident had sent her “anxiety through the roof” and that she was struggling with her mental health as a result of the stress.

“I have severe chronic agitated depression since teen years,” Barbera explains. “Now I have no primary care doctor and nowhere else to go. I have been made to feel like a worthless nothing.”

This is not the first time a woman has lost access to critical medical services due to her “gender critical” views.

In October of last year, a woman identified as Emma by the UK’s Daily Mail was banned from having an operation in London’s Princess Grace Hospital because she requested single sex accommodation. The woman, who had been scheduled for a complex colorectal operation, also expressed that she did not want to “use pronouns or engage with such manifestations of gender ideology.”

Despite having experience being the victim of sexual assault, Emma was banned from having her procedure at the facility for requesting single-sex care.

[flowers-of-io]

The Second Law of Anatheme

Read on Ao3

One day, Savathûn gave her daughter Balwûr Bitter-Poison a task.

She said, “Take ten thousand Thrall and put some in caves, and some in water, and some in the void of space; and slaughter them any way you wish. But there is one condition, which is that you must look each one of them in the face as the last flicker of soulfire fades from their eyes. Then return to me and tell me what you have learned.”

So Balwûr picked ten thousand Thrall, those who had already fought enough to grow eyes, and put some in caves, and some in water, and some in the void of space, and slaughtered them. From her hidden court Savathûn watched the proceedings—every fiery explosion and every glint of a blade.

“Testing her strength, are you now?” Xivu Arath inquired, both impressed and jealous. Savathûn bowed her head, and distracted her sister with a poison dart aimed squarely at the throat of her chief pilot, causing his body to collapse onto the controls and crash the ship head-first into a nearby war moon.

“Testing her curiosity, I see,” Oryx the King rumbled, peering down at her from high atop his osmium throne. Savathûn hid a smile, and lied the truth to her brother until half of the Dreadnaught was everted back outside-out.

When Balwûr returned to the High Coven, covered in blood and fed richly with tithes, Savathûn awaited her in the Watchtower, from where a trillion of her eyes spied into every corner of the known universe.

“What have you learned, my daughter?” she inquired.

“The amount of power drawn from a death is equal to the negative weight of the absence this death causes,” Balwûr said, with no small measure of pride in her voice. “It is in accordance with Ka-Thûlaar’s Fifth Dogma of the Conservation of Energy, but while he believed it is the transfer of tithe to which the influx of power is ascribed, I propose that tithe and power are separate from each other and while the former is both the cause and effect of the latter, it is power that ultimately determines the weight of one’s absence and the size of the anatheme created by removing them from existence.”

“And what of the Thrall?”

“When I looked into their eyes, in the fade of the soulfire I saw all the possibilities of who they could have become had I permitted them to live. Those possibilities, never manifested, did not add weight to my tribute. Thus I conclude it is only the Real that has weight, and an Intent must manifest in reality if it is to be an anatheme; for something must first exist in order to be killed, and there is no absence of things that do not exist.”

“Correct,” Savathûn said, rising from her fauteuil. “Realising the weight of every life is imperative to shape your will with the power drawn from ending it.”

Then she lunged forward and wrapped one massive hand around her daughter's throat.

Balwûr tried to wrestle free, but she was no match for the strength of her mother within her own throne. As her vision tunnelled and her essence tugged on insistently to peel itself off from its failing vessel, a feeling of great dread overcame her: in that moment, she realised the true weight of her mortality, hung on a single fraying thread that was her crushed windpipe, and she thrust out a hand in a desperate attempt to claw at her mother’s grip. The world was falling off of her in a dizzying twirl, fuether and further away, swallowed by darkness. Balwûr shut her eyes as the thread severed.

For a moment, there was nothing.

Then she awoke, confused, in a place between places. The stone underneath her was solid and sleek. She rose and looked around—she was standing alone on a small island bobbing on the grey Ascendant currents, its edges still fresh from carving, its structures half-manifested into being. She reached out gingerly and felt the weight of it, the potential energy buzzing soundlessly in the air, the steady current of power rushing under her feet. She thought of her hands stained black with thrallblood, and of her worm curling up as the last wisps of soulfire flickered out in hollow eyes. And she understood.

[shunin-gumis]

As Master Joe Wishes - Track 05

Seasonal Team Event - L4mps

Location: Tokyo Metropolis International Airport — Lobby

Chief: Thanks for seeing me off, Sakujiro-san.

Sakujiro: Of course. It is my duty as the young master’s butler. I wish you the best for your work in Liechtenstein. 

Chief: (A “butler”, huh… )

Sakujiro: Is something the matter? 

Chief: Oh, I was just thinking about the Night Team… I wonder if they��re doing alright? I don’t think there should be much trouble for them working as servants but… 

Sakujiro: … I’m certain they will be just fine. Daniel may have thrown out his back, but he’s still a very capable manager. And, not to mention, they’ve already overcome their first tour together.

Chief: …..

You’re right, I’m sure they’ll be fine! I should get going now.

Sakujiro: Indeed, please give it your all.

Chief: (Ryui-kun may look all rough and tough, but he’s actually a very responsible big brother. I’m sure he’ll manage to get along with their Master just fine!)

Location:  Manor

Joe: Ryui! Is Ryui present!?

Location: Manor - Large Parlor

Ryui: Oi, don’t call out to me so casually.

Joe: You must answer as soon as I call you! You are, after all, a valet of the Senba Family!

Ryui: A valet?

Joe: What it means is that you are my handmaid! 

Ryui: Your what? You little shit, don’t test my patien–

Joe: ! 

Joe: Toi~ Oh, Toi~! 

Toi: What is it, master?

Joe: *giggling*

Ryui: Dammit…

(The damn bear knows I can’t make a fuss in front of Toi–)

Joe: I shall permit you to carry me once more.

Toi: Okaay~♪

Ryui: …So? What d’ya want from me?

Joe: I need you to gather a hundred winning popsicle sticks of my beloved ice candy~*

Ryui: The fuck?

Joe: I will need precisely one hundred of them within the day, please and thank you! 

Ryui: There’s no fuckin’ way I could get all tha–

Toi: It’s a piece of cake for Ani-sama, right~

Ryui: Heh, yeah don’t make me laugh! I could do it in my sleep. 

Joe: ….. 

~~~

Ryui: Here, got ��em for ya, exactly a hundred. 

Joe: … And how exactly did you manage to procure all this?

Ryui: Well, let’s just say I got a hold of some friendly fellas and got them to check for me… And I might’ve used my left eye too… 

Joe: ??

Ryui: Whatever, don’t worry about it.

Joe: I-I am not quite certain of how you accomplished it, but I see! You seem to be quite quick-witted! 

Ryui: Ah… And here, take this. 

Joe: And what might this be?

Ryui: I figured getting only the winning popsicle sticks might be boring so… I got you a candy-themed pin badge from the same place. It’s just somethin’ cheap though.

Joe: …..! 

Ryui: (I went ahead and got it like how I usually do for Toi… )

Toi: As expected of Ani-sama… Not only did you get what Joe-sama asked for, but you also got a little present on top of that too! 

Ryui: ! Didn’t see you there, Toi.

Toi: Isn’t this great, Joe-sama? I’m sure it’d look perfect on your ear! 

Joe: I… I do not require something like this! I only requested the winning popsicle sticks, that’s all! 

Toi: Oh, Joe-sama left… 

Ryui: (What a handful… )

~~~

Location: Manor

Joe: Now, onto my next request! 

Ryui: What? This still goin’ on?

Joe: I would like to sunbathe, but that cloud is blocking all the warm rays. Be a dear and get rid of it for me.

Ryui: Oi, aren’t you just pulling my leg at this point with all these impossible tasks?

Joe: My, I have no idea what you are talking about~♪

Toi: M-Maybe asking Ani-sama to control the weather is a bit much… 

Joe: Oh my, do you think so?

Toi: No, Ani-sama is the coolest brother in the whole world…! I’m sure he could control the weather if he wanted to! 

Ryui: … Don’t worry, Toi. I could blow away those clouds any day.

Joe: …..

Those clouds… they are truly gone! How in the world did you manage to do it while I was taking my afternoon nap…?

Ryui: They’re cirrocumulous clouds. 

Toi: ? What’s so special about them?

Ryui: Those kinda clouds disappear in minutes. So all I had to do was have the bear sleep for a bit and wake her up again after they were gone.

Toi: I see! As expected of Ani-sama~

Ryui: Well yeah. … Take a look over there too.

Joe: Oh!

Toi: Wow, a rainbow! It’s so pretty!!

Ryui: It tends to show up with the cirrocumulous clouds, but looks like it was a little later this time.

Toi: Clearing away the clouds, and even showing us a rainbow… You’re such a romantic, Ani-sama! At this rate I’ll be playing your “route” forever and ever! 

Joe: Hmph…! 

Ryui: (Seriously… Why the hell do I have to listen to anyone who’s not Toi?)

(Not to mention, the little shit only gives me the hardest tasks like it’s got something against me… The more I think about it, the more it pisses me off…!)

Joe: H-Hmph! I suppose I must commend you! You may take your leave now. But do keep in mind that I will have many more orders for you tomorrow as well~

Ryui: *sigh*

~~~

Location: Manor - Bedroom 

Toi: Good work today, Ani-sama. I was already amazed at how you got all those winning popsicle sticks, but you really surprised me with the clouds today! Not only are you super handsome, but you’re so smart too! 

Ryui: I thought about borrowing one of Yowa’s inventions, but that damn cook disappeared on me.

Toi: You’re right, I haven’t seen Netaro-san around much lately… I did spot a robot that looked just like him, walking right up against the wall of the manor without stopping… I wonder if that’s another one of his inventions? 

Ryui: He probably fucked off to god knows where and left that robot to work in his place. 

(I could use one of those myself, honestly)

~~~

Location: Manor - Large Parlor

Samejima: Joe-san, and the rest of you, thank you for gathering here in the middle of your work. Has everything been going well?

Yodaka: Though we did go through some minor issues at first due to our inexperience, I think overall, the mission has been going quite smoothly.

Nagi: Thank you for helping me with my mistakes before they got out of hand… 

Ryui: We’ve got other problems. For one, this bear is way too bossy.

Joe: Hmph!

Netarobot: Yes indeedy~ I’m Netaro indeed~

Nagi: This robot is really well-made… Do you think it’s true that it can shoot missiles from its fingers?

Toi: Netaro-san hasn’t been doing his job lately… Is that really okay���? 

Samejima: Ahh, you don’t have to worry about that. We can set him aside for now. There’s something else we must discuss.

Samejima: I’ll get straight to the point. This may seem sudden, but it’s been decided that Joe-san will be leaving for Germany 12 hours from now. 

Note:

Joe is asking for a 100 winning popsicle sticks/ice candy like Gari Gari-kun where the sticks are seared with either "winner" or "loser", and getting a winning stick leads to either another free ice cream or other small prizes.

[sunshinecircusworld]

story test - tom and star lion

this was actually the first proper scene i wrote for this project, but i didn't feel comfortable posting it publicly until now.

the story and contents are subject to change, but i still thought it was something i'd like to share for now

i hope people enjoy it :)

[Tom is a medium height anthropomorphic black-furred tomcat. Ahead of him is a large anthropomorphic lion more than three times his size, radiating light like the sun or a star.] 

Are you a God? 

[The star lion looks down at him with a blank face.] 

☆ No, I am simply the star of the show. 

What does that mean? 

☆ The show cannot go on without the star. The spotlight shines down on center stage and I perform unendingly for the audience. I observe the audience and ensure their reactions are that of pleasure and enjoyment. I remember my performances and I recall my memories of the audience's reactions. 

Is that your job? 

☆ It is my role.

Do you like your role?

☆ I am the star of the show. I am a performer. I am an observer. I am a recorder. If I did not do these tasks, there would be no more show. The audience would be disappointed. 

That's not what I'm saying. I asked if you liked it. 

☆ ...

Hello?

☆ There is no necessity to wonder whether or not I enjoy it. It is my role. 

Don't you think that's a bit depressing? I mean, haven't you ever thought about what you actually want to do in your life? 

☆ Ever since I was a child I observed the other stars and planets around me crashing into each other with such violence. Planets colliding and scraps of rock and molten metal shooting through space and destroying nearby beings. Stars corrupting and erupting and exploding into a million little sparkles of dust. They will never come back. They will never be whole again. 

What are you trying to say...?

☆ What I am saying is that I watched all of this conflict take place, and I committed myself to the role of one who does not perpetuate violence. I exist to mitigate arguments and to bring comfort and pleasure to the audience so they do not behave in erratic ways and are always filled with at least a small remnant of joy after the performance. I am not permitted to feel emotions like 'rage,' nor to perform actions like 'destruction'. This is for the sake of the rest of the universe. 

Don't you think that's putting a little too much pressure on yourself? I mean, sure, people are out there fighting and hurting each other, but that's not your responsibility.

☆ What do you mean?

Like, people are going to hurt each other no matter what. And even if you try to bring comfort and happiness to others, it's still going to happen. So the way I see it, it's not your responsibility. 

☆ Do you mean to say that I should abandon my role? If I were to do so, don't you know how much more anguish and sadness there would be in the universe? I'm playing a very important role, I couldn't forgive myself if I were to ever step down from this stage. I'd be at fault for allowing the other beings of the universe to only continue their struggles and discontent without any relief. 

Don't you think you should take a break from it sometimes at least? 

☆ I must not abandon my role as I would only be allowing further sadness and suffering to permeate our world.

Why do you feel guilt for violence that you didn't even cause? 

☆ ...

It's not your fault. 

☆ ... 

You've lived this way for a long time, haven't you. 

☆ ...

Haven't you ever thought about what it could be like if you did something else? Played a role for yourself?

☆ How can I justify my existence if I am not performing to lessen the suffering in this world? 

You know, most people never really think about stuff like that. We just exist, and live, because we do. 

☆ What is the justification for your existence? What is your role? 

I don't know. I often feel something similar, wondering why I'm alive. What I can do in this life to make it worth it. But that's not something easily answered.

☆ I don't think I could leave this stage if I tried. I couldn't bear the guilt of leaving the audience. 

It'll probably take some time 

☆ I don't want to leave! I don't want things to change! I don't want to take the time to slowly abandon those who depend on me! 

...

☆ I don't want to leave this stage and this role! I don't know who I am without them! 

[The star lion begins to cry] 

Hey, it's okay. I didn't mean to upset you. 

☆ I'm not upset by you! I'm upset by myself! Why can't I perform correctly! Why is there always someone in the audience who doesn't laugh no matter how grand the show is! Why can't I help people! Help this world! Help this universe! 

[The star lion is crying profusely and slowly shrinking in size, hiding its face in its hands]

Hey, it's okay, it's okay. 

☆ I'm sorry for crying. 

Why would you be sorry? It's just an emotion. 

[The star lion sniffles. It is still avoiding eye contact with Tom.]

☆ It is not convenient or helpful to anyone if I cry. 

It doesn't need to be. Actually, I think it's helpful to yourself. That's why your body does it. 

☆ ... 

Sometimes we have things trapped inside our bodies that need to get out.

[The star lion looks up at Tom.] 

☆ Why are you being so kind to me?

... 

[It looks down again.]

☆ I don't understand why. 

It's not a matter of 'why,' I just always... try to be kind to people in general, especially if they seem like they need it. 

☆ Are you pitying me? Do you think I'm pathetic? 

Hey, wait, I didn't say that. 

☆ I'm sorry. 

You really don't have to apologize. 

☆ Okay. 

I'm glad you shared your story with me. 

☆ It is the least I can do. I hope it was entertaining and did not cause discomfort to you. 

It doesn't matter if it did. We all have to live in discomfort sometimes. 

☆ I wish it were not so. But maybe, in a way, I understand. The joy of a smile cannot be understood without the sorrow of a frown. It is why many clowns embody this dichotomy. 

Yeah, there will always be both good and bad, fun and difficult things in the world. 

☆ I am glad that the clowns can ensure the existence of fun and good things in this world. 

[The star lion has stopped crying and started smiling slightly.]

It's great that the circus exists. But you have to remember that it's okay to be kind to yourself as well, and take a break from the stage every once in a while.

[The star lion looks into Tom's eyes.]

☆ I do not know if I know how to do that. 

It's okay. 

☆ ... 

[Tom approaches the star lion and wraps it in a hug] 

☆ ... 

... 

☆ ...

...

☆ Thank you.

[degloved]

i'm about to sound like a john apologist but i need you all to look past that first impression and consider this post as written by a john understander. it sort of ties into what i said here, also.

the reason amanda was tested again in saw iii wasn't because john lacked love for her, it was precisely because he loved her beyond "rational" bounds. she was tested because she was loved. that's all there is to it. this absolutely isn't normal in any circumstances other than theirs and if someone irl is putting you in saw traps they probably Don't love you btw. but with john being the way he is... or was, rather, it must be the other way around. think about this: no one has ever gotten more than one (non-rigged) test; no one has ever enjoyed the privilege of quite so many second chances. no one has ever had john praying they'd pass/succeed.

john relentlessly testing her was the equivalent of your bff taking her gross bf back even after the 7th time he's cheated just bc he promised it'd be different this time, and you're rolling your eyes bc you know better, but she's in love and deluded. not that john was. in love. sorry. you get my meaning. he was so desperate to balance his fucked up little belief system with the genuine care he felt for amanda. he was continually at a crossroads, struggling not to stray away from the jigsaw ideology (bc if he did, he'd have nothing at all except blood on his hands up to the wrists and some tough pills to swallow) and trying even harder to find a loophole that'd allow him to keep amanda around despite the fact that the aforementioned ideology very clearly would not permit her a place in this world.

(john is its god and its disciple and the disciple pleading with the god and the god denying that plea.) picture a heartbroken owner trying every avenue just to avoid putting down their dog with bite history.

and amanda did deserve better is the thing. she did deserve better than to be loved by a fucking serial killer, because no one else could, and she did deserve better than being inadvertently killed by the very same serial killer, she deserved so much better in every sense! but the fact remains that better has never been in the cards for her; she got the most bottom-of-the-barrel love there is, she got the most worthless, useless, dangerous, thankless love there is. but it is love. was love. do you get me

[vitasexualiiis]

Mori + Dazai in Dark Era:

Ever since finishing the Dark Era novel in full, I can't stop thinking about the end where Dazai confronts Mori??

After almost every exchange they have, Mori asks Dazai some very leading questions:

"Very well. You have my permission. However, I would like to know why." "Of course, he's a dear ally of ours, but is he worth sending executive-level men to the front line to save?" "I understand your plan, but but in all likelihood, Oda doesn't want help. What do you think of that?" "No matter what the cost, you have to get yourself dirty to keep the Port Mafia going. [...] you must also willingly perform any logically conceivable atrocity. Do you understand what I'm saying?" "What remarkable inference. There is nothing that needs correcting. I have just one thing I'd like to ask: What is wrong with that?" "It's a win-win situation. So why are you so angry?" "We have always brought darkness, violence, and cruelty to this city. Why is that a problem now?" "Stay, or do you have a logical reason for going to him?"

etc., etc. I assume the story is (textually) painting two pictures: one, that Mori is, above all, rational, and will win this argument no matter what. The second, that Dazai is no longer acting rationally, but is being lead by his emotions--something that, up until this point, was something he didn't (intentionally) give into.

Dazai didn't say a word. That was just about the first time he'd ever been unable to articulate his feelings. Logically speaking, Ougai was right, and Dazai was wrong. Ougai's narrowed eyes harbored a tinge of cleverness, as if they could see into his heart. It was the same kind of light that was once in Dazai's eyes when he looked upon his enemies or allies

Obviously Mori is asking these questions so he can refute them, but it does genuinely make me wonder if he has an ulterior motive here? We know that by this point, their relationship has deteriorated. Mori says, "It's not often you come here yourself." Which is a far cry from Dazai being his confidant and right-hand-man in Fifteen.

Are his questions rhetorical? Is he genuinely telling Dazai, "If you can give me a better option, I will take it"? Is he defending himself, knowing that he hurt Dazai immensely? Is it a plea for rationality? Is he testing his loyalty?

Does he want Dazai to realize he's languishing in the Mafia? ("Why are you so angry?") Is he giving him permission to live authentically--outside of the Mafia--by making him admit that he no longer holds its values?

Is he simply laying everything on the table so that Dazai can make the choice he needs to make? Or, is he pushing him away intentionally, knowing that Dazai will hang on until it kills one or both of them?

The thing we need to understand here, is that Mori never hated Dazai. He was (is?) afraid of him, yes, but Mori (STILL!) wants him by his side. Dazai was his confidant, his project, the ace up his sleeve and his heir.

Yes, Mori got the permit, and it was all worth it in his mind, but it's a Pyrrhic victory at best.

Two weeks after Dazai leaves, Mori is STILL described as "listless," and outright refuses to replace his executive seat (which...iirc he never has).

The organization had received an item of great value, something that more than made up for the total pecuniary damage and loss of talented subordinates. That included Dazai's disappearance as well. Logically speaking, the results couldn't have been better. Everything was going according to plan. Ougai folded the document [Oda's Silver Oracle] into a misshapen paper airplane. Then, with his chin still resting on his hand, he threw it. The deformed plane almost immediately crashed into the floor. "Things sure are going to get boring around here..."

Sooo...yeah. It really makes me wonder just what Mori was trying to accomplish with Dazai during all of this, and especially during their final exchange.

Was one of his sacrifices as boss Dazai's presence and loyalty? For the health of the organization? For Dazai's health and happiness?

I dunno! Given what we're shown here, I'm kind of inclined to believe it was a little of everything.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

Loop Back

Switch AU

A JSE Fanfic

More of the guys in IRIS, yay! :D Yay for us, I mean, obviously not them haha. Last time we mainly saw what IRIS had planned for JJ and Schneep, but what about the others? After all, they don't have any special powers, right? Why are they here? While those two recover from their own tests, Marvin takes an assessment. Then, when some guards appear to drag him off somewhere, he makes an escape attempt and finds something strange. Heheheh. Enjoy!

More of This AU | | First Chapter | Previous Chapter | Read on AO3 under CrystalNinjaPhoenix

Marvin spent most of the afternoon—or, what he assumed was the afternoon—trying to think of different ways to contact Jackie and Anti. After hearing those shouts outside his door, they must be nearby. He wasn’t sure where JJ or Schneep were, though. He was sure IRIS would have taken them too, but he didn’t know anything about this place outside the room he was stuck in. They could be on the other side of this compound, through thick metal walls or high up in the air. He needed to focus on Jackie and Anti first, and then the three of them could figure something else out.

But as time passed, he found he couldn’t focus on planning. His stomach was rumbling too loud, and his thoughts devolved into repeated cycles of how hungry he was.

After what must have been a few hours, that woman from before walked in. The one in the white coat, with the curly blonde hair. She must be some sort of doctor, right? “Hello again, Mr. Moore,” she said, sitting down at the table.

Marvin, previously lying on the bed, sat up straight. “You again,” he muttered, glaring. “What do you want?”

“We are doing an assessment,” the doctor said calmly. “And I’ve also brought something for you.” She sets down a small box on the table. A fabric box... a lunch box? “Please come over to the table. So you can be in view of the interview camera.”

“...you’re lurin’ me with food?” Marvin asked, eyes narrowing.

The doctor just smiled. “Please come into view of the camera.”

Marvin sighed. He stood up, testing his legs. Luckily, after resting for so long, the fatigue had faded and he was easily able to walk over to the table and chair. “Don’ expect it t’be t’is easy all the time,” he said. “My body comes and goes. I’ll only be able to walk wit’out aid sometimes. Not all the time.”

“The date is March 1st, 2020, and we are interviewing Mr. Marvin Moore,” the doctor said, not acknowledging what Marvin just said. He threw his hands up in frustration. “Use of the Dr. Hopkins Assessment has been permitted. Mr. Moore, please eat before we proceed.”

Marvin sighed. He was annoyed, but he was also hungry. His stomach was twisting just at the thought of eating. So he grabbed the lunch box and opened it up. Inside was a sandwich made of ham and brown bread, a peeled orange, some crackers, and a small water bottle. He ate quickly, not looking directly at the doctor while she sat across from him... watching him. As soon as he was done he slid the lunch box over to her. Going through some sort of test would be preferable to this silence.

“Thank you!” the doctor said in a chipper tone, pushing the lunch box to the side. She then took out a clipboard and began writing things down. “Now we will start the Assessment. We’re going to ask you a series of questions to determine your state of mind. Keep in mind we can detect if you’re lying, so please try to answer truthfully. Are you okay with this, Mr. Moore?”

“Well I s’pose I have to be, don’ I?” Marvin muttered. “You’re not goin’ to listen t’me. Or give me my fuckin’ cards back.”

“Great!” The doctor smiled.  “Now. Is your name Marvin Moore?”

“Yes.”

“Are you 29 years old?”

“How d’you know about t’at?!” Marvin gasped.

“We have done some research since we last spoke,” the doctor explained. “So please answer the question.”

“Y-yes... t’at’s my age,” Marvin said shakily. Maybe he shouldn’t answer these questions... but clearly these guys won’t listen to him. They would probably just continuously ask the questions until he caved.

“Are you taking the Dr. Hopkins Assessment right now?” the doctor asked.

“If t’at’s what t’is is.”

“On a scale of one to ten, one being the lowest and ten being the highest, how would you describe your current mental state?”

“Ah... low?” Marvin guessed.

“If you had to put a number to it?” she persisted.

“I don’ know. A... a t’ree? A three,” he repeated, making an effort to emphasize the TH sound, just so there wasn’t any confusion.

“Have you ever felt an attack of fear or anxiety?”

“A-ah, um—” Marvin really didn’t want to tell these IRIS guys about his mental problems.

The doctor stared at him more intensely. “Have you ever felt an attack of fear or anxiety?”

“C-can I choose not to answer?”

“Have you ever felt an attack of fear or anxiety?”

“I... w-well, hasn’ ev’ryone?” Marvin said.

The doctor nodded slowly and wrote something down. Was she agreeing with him? Or just acknowledging what he said? “Do you feel safe?”

“After bein’ kidnapped and torn away from my friends? Not t’mention bein’ kidnapped by people wh-who I know do terrible t’ings to others?” Marvin leaned close. “I don’ know what you want wit’ me and I don’ know what you’ve done wit’ my friends. I know you want to hurt us, though.”

“We do not want to hurt you, Mr. Moore,” the doctor insisted.

“No, but you’ll do stuff to hurt us anyway.” Marvin glared. “D’you really t’ink you deserve a ‘yes’ answer to that question?”

The doctor blinked. Then she looked down at the clipboard and continued. “Do you regret your decisions?”

“Uh...” Marvin leaned back again, confused. “I don’ understan’ the question. T’ere are a lot of decisions out t’ere. T’at I’ve made. I would regret some and not regret others, righ’?”

“Hmm.” The doctor wrote something down. “Do you know where you are?” 

“In IRIS?” Marvin guessed.

“Do you know why you’re here?”

“F-for... experiments?” Marvin whispered, scanning the doctor’s expression for a reaction. Maybe he could learn something? But, unfortunately, he was never that good with emotions. If the doctor felt any way about his guess, she didn't show it.

“Have you ever heard of ALTR 53815?” the doctor asked.

“No, I haven’,” Marvin insisted.

“What was the first time you came in contact with ALTR 53815?”

“Don’ fuckin’ ignore me!” Marvin shouted, his temper suddenly bursting. “I can’ tell you any’ting if you don’ tell me stuff first! What the fuck is an alter?! Is t’at what you call the people you do tests on?! Huh?!”

“How many pictures have been shown to you so far?” The doctor asked calmly.

“I jus’ said—” Marvin growled. But then he gave up, the anger suddenly draining out of him. They weren’t going to tell him anything. He had to stop trying. Any energy he put into resisting these guys would be diverted away from his efforts to escape. And it might be good for them to think he was cooperating. “I haven’ seen anyt’ing,” he sighed.

“How many sounds have been played for you?” the doctor asked.

“Haven’ heard anyt’ing, either.”

“Are you easily startled?”

“Ah... well... it depends?” Marvin said slowly, suddenly on guard. His eyes darted around the room. Were they going to throw something at his face?

“What’s the worst pain you’ve ever felt?”

Marvin couldn’t help but laugh. “You t’ink I’m jus’ gonna tell you t’at?” He shivered. “I-I don’ even know it off the top of my head.” Probably something Distorter did to him... something that he might not even remember.

That seemed to be a sufficient answer for the doctor. “Do you believe in God?” she asked.

Marvin raised an eyebrow. “Feel like t’at’s a bit of a departure from the rest of t’ese questions.”

“Please just answer it promptly,” the doctor said.

“Ah... I... guess?” Marvin said slowly. “But not... as in t’ere’s someone up t’ere who t’inks like a human... It might be closer to a force of nature. It’d probably be... very diff’rent. But t’ere has to be somet’ing.” He was speaking more to himself than to the doctor, sorting out his own feelings on the way. Yes, there had to be something, didn’t there? There had to be something... maybe...

“Do you believe in life after death?” the doctor asked, not noticing his introspection.

Marvin jumped slightly, snapping back to reality. “Um... sure?”

“Have you ever experienced a terrible occurrence that has impacted you significantly?”

“If you truly did research on me, wouldn’ you know?” Marvin asked.

“We may know facts, but we don’t know how you feel about all this,” the doctor explained. “I’ll ask again. Have you ever experienced a terrible occurrence that has impacted you significantly?”

Marvin nodded slowly.

“Please answer audibly for the record.”

“Y-yes,” Marvin whispered.

The doctor wrote something down, taking a long time. “Have you ever lost someone close to you?”

Marvin flinched. He didn’t want to answer. He didn’t want to answer at all. But he knew she would keep asking. She—IRIS—wouldn’t let him have the smallest bit of privacy while he was in here. “...yes,” he whispered.

More writing. Then the doctor looked up at him and smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Moore, that concludes our assessment.”

“Great... now what?” Marvin asked. “No wait, let me guess. You’re not goin’ t’tell me.”

“We will see you again, Mr. Moore,” the doctor said, tucking the clipboard under her arm and grabbing the lunch box.

“Oh I wasn’ worried abou’ t’at,” Marvin grumbled, slumping in the chair.

“Get some rest!” the doctor said cheerfully, and walked over towards the door.

Marvin started to get up from the chair, wanting to run for the door as she started to open it. But he hesitated for too long. The door was already closing. “Damn it,” he muttered. Sighing, he continued to stand up, and walked over to the bed, sitting down again.

... what if that was the only opportunity he had? What if they weren’t going to open the door again? What if he was going to be stuck in here?

No, no, that was going too far. They had to open the door to feed him. There wasn’t any other way into the room. He could wait until then. He had to.

Sighing, Marvin lied down and tried to think of a plan.

———————

Every muscle in Schneep’s body ached. After the tests—hours and hours of fighting robots with different abilities—he was too tired to even think about resisting as they dragged him back to the cell. He fell asleep for a brief moment, but he could tell that it wasn’t that long. Maybe only a few minutes. All he really knew was that they dropped him on the floor and the next thing he knew, he was opening his eyes, the guards were gone, and the manacle was around his ankle again.

He was able to drag himself onto the bed, but wasn’t able to move much after that. He laid there for a while, then lifted his head and glared at the camera. “I hope you are not going to wear me out all the time,” he said. “I cannot be a good...” His throat closed up. He couldn’t say the word that was on his mind. Weapon. “I-I cannot be good at tests if I am pushed to exhaustion.”

There was no answer, of course.

Schneep put his head down again, groaning. With all the advanced technology they’d stuck into his body, you would think IRIS would be able to keep him from feeling exhaustion. Though, to be honest, it felt like he’d been able to keep fighting for longer than usual... so maybe the technology could delay it, but not get rid of it. That made sense.

He could only hope that it also reduced his recovery time. He didn’t want to lay in bed whenever he wasn’t being forced to go through one of IRIS’s tests. Not when he could be using that time to try and escape.

There had to be a way out of here... sure, they’d learned from his last escape and added the manacle to tie him down, but there had to be a way. He refused to just give up and let them use him.

But for now... he had to rest.

———————

Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

JJ pressed up against the wall, hugging his knees to his chest. His eyes kept flicking to the cameras in the corners. They were always watching him. There was never going to be anywhere to hide, never, never, never—

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Everything was fine right now. They weren’t going to do anything to him.

But they were still watching.

Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

He rubbed his eyes, brushing away the tears in the corners. The moment his vision was clear again, his eyes glanced at the cameras again. He shuddered. Twisting around, he reached over to the bed and grabbed the pillow, throwing it at the nearest camera. It hit the wall nearby and fell to the ground. With that having failed, he grabbed the blanket of the bed and pulled it off.

The bedframe was fairly low; there wasn’t room enough for a person to squeeze underneath. But by draping the blanket off the side, he made a small tent to hide behind. JJ curled up beneath it. He felt ridiculous, like a child hiding from a monster in the closet. But it was the only way to block out the camera.

Deep breaths.

Deep breaths.

Everything is okay right now.

It won’t be okay in the future. But it’s okay right now.

Deep breaths.

Deep breaths.

———————

The moment the door to the cell opened, Anti lunged at the gap, pushing his way out. He made it out into the hallway but was immediately grabbed from behind by one of these guards in black uniforms. “Fucking let me go!” he growled. He tried kicking at their legs, tried wriggling against their grasp, but the two guards held tight to each of his arms. There were two more as well, pointing some sort of gun towards him. Not the type that fired bullets—dart guns, maybe?

They started dragging him down the hallway. “Fuck you! Fuck off!” Anti shouted, voice trembling slightly. His eyes darted around wildly, taking in the plaster walls and linoleum tiles, looking for anything that could help. But there was nothing.

What was happening? The other times he’d been taken out of the room, that scientist-looking guy had been there to supervise him. This time, it was just the guards. Why? Did the scientist not want to risk getting hurt in some freaky fucking experiment? Were they going to fuck with his body as well as his head this time?! The thought sent panic shooting through his heart, and he didn’t stop struggling even as the guards took him down the hallways. Keep track of the turns! Right, left, right—the walls shifted to a pale blue, bordering on white, instead of the beige they were right outside the cells.

The guards reached a set of double-doors on the left side of the hallway. One of them took a keycard off their belt and pressed it to a reader at the side of the door. There was a slight click and the doors slid open. As the guards started pulling Anti inside, he tried to hook his foot around the doorframe, but they yanked him hard and easily broke his grip.

The room beyond was a nearly empty space, with the same linoleum tiles and plaster walls that are now painted pure white. The high ceiling was made of tiles, too, but not linoleum. Instead, the office vibes continued, with the ceiling looking like ones that would be found in office buildings, or maybe schools. There was a simple card table set up in the middle—the type that folds—with some sort of sheet-covered shape on it. Some more sturdy-looking tables were set up around it in a U shape, full of strange metal boxes with lights, buttons, and dials, some with attached antenna, all with wires leading from them over to the edge of the room. Anti glanced around at all this, taking it in, but his focus was turned to the last thing in the room. A chair with leather straps attached, looking like it was pulled out of a horror game taking place in some creepy hospital

 “You are not putting me in that fucking thing!” Anti shouted, voice cracking slightly. He intensified his struggles—

Smak! One of the guards hit him in the side of the head. He slumped, instantly dazed. The guards didn’t waste any time, dragging him across the ground to the chair and shoving him in. He squirmed weakly, but was still dazed. The guards easily pulled the straps over his wrists, ankles, and chest. One even went over his forehead, pulling his head into place against a headrest. Then the guards backed up, continuing to point their dart guns at him, just in case.

“Wh-what is this?” Anti demanded. “The fuck are you going to do?!” He twisted his hands back and forth, trying to worm his way beneath the leather straps, but they were extremely tight.

The guards didn’t say anything. Nothing was moving in the room beside him. He couldn’t help but think that they were all... waiting for something.

He swallowed a lump in his throat. If he could escape from this room, he could find the others and they could get out of here. He couldn’t let this opportunity get away from him! He took a deep breath, then kept struggling.

———————

Marvin looked up as the door opened again. Huh, it hadn’t been that long since the doctor came in to do the assessment thing. But that was fine, he could try to implement his plan.

Two people in all-black gear walked into the room, their features partially hidden with cloth masks that covered the lower half of their faces. They stared at him expectantly. But he didn’t get up from the bed. The two guards glanced at each other. “Stand up,” one said.

“I can’ do t’at,” Marvin said. “Not t’at I don’ want to, I can’t.” He made sure to emphasize it.

“Try,” the second guard said.

Marvin glared at them, but did as asked, and tried to stand up. He pushed himself up, then fell down again. “T’is shoul’ be in your files abou’ me,” he said. “T’at doctor lady said it the first time she was here. ‘Muscle weakness.’ Don’ be surprised when I’m weak.”

The two guards looked at each other, unsure. They stepped away, murmuring to each other, pressing their hands to small devices in their ears. Marvin watched them, straining to hear what was going on. He couldn’t quite make it out, but it didn’t make a difference, as the guards soon stopped talking and walked over to the bed. “Try standing up again,” the first one said.

Marvin nodded. He pushed against the bed, managing to sit up, but couldn’t get any higher. 

“This isn’t some sort of trick, is it?” the second guard said, narrowing their eyes. “We can tell if you’re lying.”

“I wouldn’ lie abou’ my condition,” Marvin said. “You all shoul’ know abou’ it and how it works. I just told t’at doctor lady t’at you can’ make a schedule for t’is fatigue.”

The guards glanced at the cameras in the room. They stared at them for a while, and Marvin stared too. He wasn’t nervous. Why would he be nervous? He had nothing to be afraid of. Other than the possibility of horrible experiments happening to him.

After what felt like forever, but which was actually less than a minute, the guards turned back to Marvin. “We’ll be taking you regardless of if you can stand or not,” the first guard said.

“Fine,” Marvin snapped, folding his arms. “Do t’at.”

And they did, reaching out and grabbing him by his arms. Marvin tried to stand up straight as they pulled him upright, but the moment they lessened the pressure, he started to collapse again. The two guards gave up on keeping him up and just started dragging him across the floor and out into the hallway.

Marvin looked around. This place appeared surprisingly normal. The strangest things were the cell doors, which looked like thick metal. The hallway continued on to the left, eventually ending in a set of double doors. The guards were dragging him to the right, which eventually turned a corner. Hmm... he definitely didn’t want to go where they were taking him, but that set of double-doors looked ominous. But they didn’t seem to be locked.

As the guards approached the corner, Marvin lifted his legs into the air and slammed them down onto the ground, planting his feet firmly. The guards jolted suddenly, looking at him in surprise, and he managed to wrench an arm free, lunging and grabbing something from the first guard’s belt. Some sort of gun? But he didn’t fire it, instead slamming the end of it into the second guard’s head, causing them to let go. Then Marvin dropped it and bolted.

“Hey!” The first guard shouted. The second one shook their head in surprise and they both ran after Marvin.

He couldn’t believe he’d gotten away with that! Surely people like this would realize when he was faking being more tired than he actually was! Didn’t these WTCHR cameras have the ability to detect emotions and lies? Maybe he just got lucky and these two guards were a bit less competent than the other IRIS staff members. But even if that was true, they were almost definitely faster than him. He glanced over his shoulder—yep, they were gaining on him!

He turned back around and pushed himself to run faster, slamming through the double doors. As soon as he was through he spun around and examined them from this side. They were equipped with a deadbolt. Perfect! He slid it closed just in time for the two guards to slam into it. That should buy him some time.

This area was pretty different from the cell block he was just in. The walls and floor were made out of some sort of smooth white material. The doors were still metal, but they looked slightly different, with plaques on the front that had seemingly random numbers and letters engraved on them. The hallway continued for a short distance before ending in a pair of elevator doors.

Marvin’s eyes darted around. What could he do in here?! He needed to find where his friends were. Anti and Jackie were probably in that same cell block he was just in. He couldn’t go back now that he’d locked the door; there would probably be more guards coming from that direction. No, he had to find where JJ and Schneep were. He’d been thinking about it, and they had to be somewhere else. Schneep was one of IRIS’s experiments and JJ could be considered an anomaly, they would want both of them under tighter security than the normal humans. Maybe they were on a different floor?

He hurried down the hallway towards the elevator, trying to press the call button. But there was no sign that it was activated. It didn’t light up or ding or anything. He pressed it a couple more times, just in case, but nothing. Maybe it needed some sort of key?

Bang bang bang! Marvin spun around and saw the double doors shaking as something heavy hit it from the other side. His eyes widened. He couldn’t wait for the elevator! He had to—

What was that?

One of the doors lining the hallway opened up, and someone walked out. But... it was hard to describe it. He couldn’t quite make out the features of who opened the door. It was almost like... they were made of glass, the faintest warp in the air in the vaguest shape of a person. Marvin stared at it for a few seconds, but the strange almost-person vanished as soon as they went into the hallway. So Marvin instead rushed towards it, peering into the room beyond.

The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of the same smooth white material. But unlike the hallway outside, which was brightly lit by fluorescent lights, the room was dim. There was a circular ring light embedded in the center of the ceiling, giving off a faint blue glow, but that still left the corners in shadow. Beneath the ring light was a circular platform, and on top of that circular platform... was something strange indeed. Two small objects hovered in midair, about a foot above the surface of the platform, blue and orange light swirling around them, creating a spiral that... hurt Marvin’s head to look at. He knew it was familiar... but he didn’t know where he’d seen it before.

He closed the door of the room behind him and walked towards the platform. The running was starting to catch up to him, and he could feel the fatigue pulling at him, but it wasn’t enough to slow him down quite yet. The two hovering objects were floating at chest-height for him, rotating around each other in a lazy orbit. The strange, spiraling light was coming from both of them at the same time, strands that tie together into a larger pattern. It’s mesmerizing to look at. And maddening. Where has he seen this?!

It only took him a few seconds to walk right up to the platform. He squinted through the light, looking at the two hovering objects. They’re awfully... flat? Wait a second...

“What the fuck?!” Marvin’s eyes widened. These were his cards!

Or, not all of them. Only two. The two jokers in the deck, the cards with the strange rune on the back that he hadn’t been able to identify yet. They were floating in midair, going around and around in an endless circle, emitting this strange, spiraling light. Huh. The rune on their backs... They were an angled spiral, with an X on top. Could that be... related?

Had IRIS used these to cast some sort of spell?

No, there was no way. Marvin didn’t even know all the possible combinations for his cards. IRIS couldn’t know them when he didn’t. Maybe they... stumbled across one? While messing around with them? But what could this spell be doing? The cards had never started hovering or emitting light before! And these two were the only cards in the room, where were the rest of them? What possible spell could be cast with just these two runes?

After a moment’s hesitation, Marvin reached out to the cards, stopping just before he put his hands into the light. It wasn’t emitting any heat. Nor any cold. He couldn’t feel any strange vibrations or anything. He pulled his hand back and patted himself down. There wasn’t anything on him that he could toss into the spiral of light to test if it was safe. IRIS had apparently left his jacket and hat in the hospital after they’d abducted him. But he still had his vest.

He glanced back at the door, listening. Nobody was coming. Or at least, nobody that he could hear. He quickly unbuttoned his vest and pulled it off. He held it by the collar and dangled it over the spiraling light. Slowly, he lowered it into the swirling glow caused by the cards. Lower... lower... lower... The cloth of the vest hit one of the cards, but the card’s orbit was unaffected. It just pushed past the vest. And when the other one followed, it pushed past too, knocking the vest to the side. Marvin pulled the vest out again, looking it over. Seemed no worse for wear.

That probably meant he could touch the cards himself, right? He still wasn’t sure, but he was running out of time. The guards would be coming at any moment. And these were his cards! He had to get them back!

He hesitated for one moment more, then reached out, intending to grab one—

The spiral of light flared, and he stumbled back. Suddenly, it was all he could see, taking up the entirety of his vision no matter where he turned his head. It was even there when he closed his eyes! “H-hey!” he shouted, reaching forward again to try and disrupt the card formation—maybe if he did that, this would stop—

And then the spiral was gone.

Marvin gasped, suddenly breathing heavily, eyes darting around the room. Nothing had changed in here. The room was empty except for the platform, and the cards continued to orbit around each other, that same pattern of light coming from them, completely undisturbed by Marvin’s interference.

...but that didn’t mean that everything was the same. He patted himself down, checking for any differences, but he felt alright. He listened for noise coming from elsewhere in the facility, but couldn’t hear anything. Well... even so, he probably shouldn’t risk touching the cards again. He would need to come back with something that could knock them out of their orbit. Why did he drop that gun he grabbed from the guard?! That could have come in handy! If not for this, then for eventually fending off the guards!

Well it was too late now. There wasn’t anything helpful in this room besides the cards. He had to leave and figure out something else before the guards cornered him in here. He turned and headed back to the door, starting to push it open—

It was locked.

Frowning, Marvin looked down at the door. There was a little switch under the handle. Next to it was a tiny LED screen with “Lock” displayed on it in red letters. He flipped the switch and the screen switched to reading “Open” in green. Then he tested the door again. It opened easily this time, and he poked his head out into the hallway—

Someone was there.

Marvin ducked his head back, but—the person wasn’t a guard. And they weren’t wearing a white coat. He quickly leaned back out to get a better look at them...

...

...what?

This is... impossible.

That figure... that’s him.

Marvin walked out into a hallway, but after only a few steps, the other version of him faded away, the color draining from his body as he became a mere warping in the air and then disappeared. That same warping effect that he’d seen from the person who stepped out of the room in the first place—

Then, suddenly, a handful of black-wearing guards appeared around him. They didn’t teleport over here in a flash or puff of smoke, he didn’t blink and hear a snap or other sound, they were just there. Not even looking at him! They were heading for the elevator. He gasped, and immediately all the guards swiveled towards him, unmistakable surprise on their faces. And then there was a yell from behind him. Marvin spun around, just in time to get tackled by another one of the guards—from inside the room! He cried out in surprise, which quickly turned to a cry of pain as the back of his head hit the floor.

“Clever, getting into there while it was locked,” one of the guards said. “But not as clever coming out while we were here. Did you think you could sneak past?”

“Sir, he wasn’t in the room at all!” said the guard pinning him.

“He wasn’t? Then where did he come from?”

“I don’t know sir! He just appeared!”

Marvin blinked away the pain and started to struggle, but two other guards rushed over and stopped him, holding his arms securely as they lifted him up, sandwiching him between their tight grips. The one who the other called ‘sir’ rushed over to stand directly in front of him. “How did you appear?” They demanded. “And how did you get into the room in the first place? You don’t have the card for the lock!”

“I-I don’—I don’ know, someone—someone walked out—” Marvin stammered.

“Who?!”

“I don’ know! It—It wasn’ really a person, it was—I don’ know.”

The guard’s eyes narrowed. “And how did you suddenly appear?”

“I don’ know!” Marvin repeated insistently. “T’me it looked like you all appeared out of thin air!”

The guards all exchanged glances. “Should we report this?” one of them asked.

“We’ll take him to the test room first,” the guard in charge said. “Tell the coats who come there.”

Test room?! Oh no. Oh no no no. He knew that nothing good would come of them showing up so soon after the assessment. Marvin tried to push the guards away, but they weren’t phased at all. They quickly began walking, and he soon lost his footing, ending up being dragged along the halls. 

They went through the double-doors back into the cell block area, and from there continued down a twisting pattern. Right, left, right, right—until they reached a section with pale blue walls. They then opened up another set of double doors, these ones on the side of the hall instead of at the end, and pulled him inside—

“Marvin!”

“Anti?!” Marvin’s eyes widened as he took in the room. The tables full of strange equipment—the mysterious item beneath a sheet—and Anti, strapped down to a chair. “Wh-what did they do to you?!”

“Nothing—yet. I think they were waiting for you.” Anti struggled against the leather straps. As the guards dragged Marvin closer, he could see red marks on Anti’s wrists where he’d been pulling at the restraints. He must have been doing that for a while.

“Are you okay?” Marvin asked.

“Yeah. As much as I fucking can be. You?”

“The same. But I t’ink somet’ing very strange jus’ happened to me...”

“What?!” Anti’s eyes narrowed. “What did they do to you?!”

“I don’ t’ink it was them, actually... or, uh... not... intentionally? It might’ve been a side effect of somet’ing else they were doin’.”

While they talked, one of the guards walked over to the corner of the room, and a section of the wall slid open. They reached inside and grabbed another chair with restraints, carrying it across the ground and putting it next to the one Anti was tied to. Marvin immediately knew that was meant for him. He tried to fight against the guards, but they were much stronger than him now that he didn’t have the element of surprise on his side. They easily forced him into the chair and strapped him down. 

Anti paused in his struggles, breathing heavily. Marvin couldn’t look at him directly, with his head restrained, but he could see him out of the corner of his eyes, slumping in the restraints. “Okay, we might not have much time,” Anti said. “Look, Jackie is here. He said that we’re probably on the surface level of one of their compounds, maybe a higher floor, but he’s not sure which compound.”

“I t’ink I heard you guys shoutin’ near my cell not too long ago,” Marvin said.

“Yes! W-we were moved there!” Anti tried to nod, but couldn’t quite manage it. “So we’re all in the same area. JJ and Schneep are somewhere else. H-have these guys done anything to you? Besides whatever just happened to you?”

“Um—one of them asked me some questions,” Marvin said. Another bit of the wall had slid open, and some people in white coats were coming out, starting to use the equipment on the tables. “Some sort of assessment t’ing.”

“The Dr. Hopkins Assessment?” Anti asked.

“Yes. They did t’at to you, too?”

“The last time I was here, yes. They did it twice, th-the second one fucked with my head s-somehow—” Anti took a deep, shuddering breath. “And what was the strange shit that just happened to you?”

“W-well, I tried to get away—”

“How far did you get?!” Anti asked urgently.

“Not too far. I went t’rough some doors at the end of the hall and found a white area with a lift and a bunch of metal doors. Then—I-I don’ know what happened, but one of the doors linin’ the hall opened up, and I went inside, and t’ere were two of my cards t’ere, floatin’ and glowing wit’ t’is strange spiral light t’at—I know I’ve seen before—a-and then I touched them and the spiral was in my eyes for a few seconds, a-and t’en I left the room and—and t’ere was myself out in the hall, but the other me disappeared and... and t’ese guards... appeared...” Marvin trailed off as he noticed something. Most of the people in white coats had stopped messing with the equipment and were now staring at him. Listening.

“That’s fucking weird,” Anti muttered. “I... I-I don’t know what that could’ve been. Sorry.”

“It’s alrigh’,” Marvin said softly. “I wouldn’ expect you to know.”

The people in white coats—scientists, or whatever—slowly returned their attention to their equipment.

“You think it could help us get out of here?” Anti whispered. “If you had your cards?”

“Def’nitely,” Marvin agreed.

Anti pulled at the restraints some more, wincing slightly. “I’m guessing that whatever you just saw isn’t a normal thing they do?”

“I don’ know. I’ve forgotten so much abou’ them. But... I know I’ve seen t’at spiral. And not jus’ in Jems’ crystal ball. I saw it before then. And I know it’s important.” Marvin sighed. “I jus’ don’ remember why.”

The machines on the tables began to hum. The scientists had tablets and clipboards with them, a variety of note-taking utensils. One of them gestured at a guard, who then walked over to the strange item on the central table and quickly pulled the sheet off before retreating. The scientists and other guards quickly backed away as well, all of them staying on the other side of the U made of tables.

The item on the table was a stone tablet, like something early civilizations used to keep records. It was propped up on some sort of plastic display thing, keeping it at a diagonal. There were some sort of carvings on its surface, but even when Marvin squinted at it, he couldn’t make out what they were. They weren’t sitting that far away... why couldn’t he understand what the carvings were?

“In five,” one of the scientists said. “Four...”

“Don’t worry, Marvin,” Anti whispered. 

“Three...”

“I’m right next to you.”

“Two...”

Marvin swallowed a lump in his throat. “T’ank you.”

“One... and go.”

The humming increased. Marvin tensed up, waiting for something to happen. He noticed Anti similarly tensing next to him. But... there was nothing. Nothing visible, at least. Marvin’s eyes darted around, looking for anything out of the ordinary. He didn’t like all the scientists looking at them. But he was more worried about whatever the fuck was going to happen to him.

When his head started to swim, he didn’t immediately think it was because of all this. He thought it was from the stress. But as the dizzy feeling increased, quickly growing, he realized that it wasn’t normal. “A-Anti...?” he whispered. “Are you... feelin’ strange?”

“Hmm? A bit, I guess.” Anti instinctively tried to shake his head before the motion was stopped by the restraint.

“A bit?” Marvin was feeling more than ‘a bit’ strange. The heavy, blurry feeling in his head was so intense that it was hard for his eyes to focus on anything. And it was beginning to spread. There was weakness in his limbs already, but the strange feeling was making it worse. He wanted to struggle against the bonds, but all he could do was sit there limply. Out of the corner of his vision, he saw movement in Anti’s direction. So this wasn’t hitting him as bad as it was his.

“Wh-what do you fucks want to get out of this?” Anti demanded, the tremble in his voice giving away his nervousness. “Is this fun for you? You sick fucking bastards?!”

The scientists didn’t respond, and Marvin couldn’t read their faces with his vision going all wonky. He didn’t know if they were phased by Anti’s shouting.

The dizziness was starting to bring tears to his eyes. It felt like there was a heavy metal ball rolling around his head, putting pressure on the inside. His throat was clogging up with something. Some sort of... mucus, maybe? It was affecting his breathing, making it sound wet.

“M-Marvin, talk to me, h-how are you doing?” Anti asked.

Marvin didn’t answer. He tried, but all that came out were disconnected, slurred sounds. He couldn’t concentrate enough to form something coherent.

“Marvin?! Marvin!” Anti tried to turn to look at him, fighting against the leather strap. He could see tears falling down Marvin’s face, but it was hard to concentrate on that sight. That is... until the tears turned red. “M-Marvin! You’re bleeding!”

“Blndnwhhh?” Marvin mumbled, eyelids half-closed.

Anti tugged at the restraints some more. He didn’t even care that he’d already rubbed his wrists raw trying to get away before Marvin showed up. If he could just get free—If he could just get Marvin free—If he could just cause enough of a scene to maybe knock that stupid tablet away from them—Because that tablet had to be what was doing this. It and its weird fucking carvings that kept slipping out of his mind. It had to be what was messing with his head, making everything dizzy.

And that feeling, combined with the blood coming from Marvin’s eyes... It’s not identical to what Distorter did, but it was similar enough to be worrying.

“What the fuck are you guys doing to us?!” Anti blinked, fighting the dizziness that was slowly filling his mind. He had to keep concentrating! He wouldn’t be dragged down ever again!

The scientists might as well have been statues for all the response they gave.

He wasn’t sure how long they sat there, tied down, feeling the effects of whatever this stone was. It was hard to keep track of time. His awareness kept fading in and out, but even when he wasn’t fully there he fought against the water drowning his thoughts. Marvin stopped responding after a while. Even though Anti kept calling to him. He wasn’t sure if Marvin was still awake... But he had to be okay. He had to be okay. If he wasn’t... if he wasn’t...

After what felt like forever, the humming of the instruments stopped, and the guards approached, unstrapping them from the chairs. Anti turned to look at Marvin fully. He wasn’t unconscious, but he was completely limp, eyes mostly-closed. One guard lifted him up and carried him out of the room. Two more grabbed Anti, pulling him along. He tried to struggle the whole time they dragged him down the hallway, but whatever that thing was really did a number on him.

But at least he noticed which cell they carried Marvin into. It was two doors down from his own. And Jackie was across from him. This was good to know.

They dumped him on the floor and locked the door behind him. He curled up, breathing slowly. Now that he was alone again, and probably would be alone for a while, he gave up on the fight and decided to just lie there for a while. Rest. Recover a bit.

They had to get out of here soon. If this was the sort of shit IRIS had planned for them, they had to escape before it wore them down.

[peachymuns-sims4challenges]

Playing Favorites Challenge

Inspired by the “spoiled brat, hated child” trope seen in Gacha Life. I know. Gacha Life just affected my brain chemistry for a brief time when I was, like, 11. Play any life length. It’s fine, I don’t care.

Rules

You must create a couple in CAS. But do not create their kids. It literally does not matter what they end up being, as long as one of them can get pregnant and the other can impregnate, as they’re only super important for a brief time.

Get them a plot in newcrest. Make 2 child’s bedrooms. Make one highly extravagant and fancy, and make the other as cheap and dingy as you can.

As soon as you get them moved in, you must have them start trying for baby asap. I’d recommend not having the pregnancy holder do pregnancy tests after the first attempt and instead have them try for baby several times in a row and then have the pregnancy holder do a pregnancy test. Odds are they’ll be pregnant. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, though, just play however you like when it comes to this.

If you don’t have multiples in this first go round, the oldest child must automatically be the hated child. Have the parents try for baby again, and the new baby will be their favorite. If you have twins, flip a coin to see who is the favorite and who is the hated. If you have triplets, flip a digital 3-sided die (or a 6 sided die with 4 equating to 1, 2 equating to 5, and 6 equating to 3) to see which one is put up for adoption, and then flip a coin to see which one is hated and which one is favored. This is actually really funny to me, by the way, because the hated child probably thinks “there’s nobody in this family less fortunate than I” and then it turns out later on they had a long lost sibling their parents hated even more than them.

Make the hated child’s toddler trait Independent, and the favorite child’s toddler trait Fussy (or Spoiled, if you have Chingyu1023’s Toddler Traits mod)

Have the parents consistently do mean interactions with the hated child and neglect them, while tending to the favorite’s every whim.

Make it so the siblings hate each other. Preferably organically.

The hated child must take care of themself. They are not permitted to eat leftovers from the fridge as a child and teen, or cook for themself as a teen. It’s just quick meals for them. The favorite child will not cook whatsoever; their parents or hated sibling will cook for them.

With a few exceptions, whatever happens, happens. One of the parents dies? Oh well. Favorite child’s crush rejects them? Guess the kid will either have to learn to deal with rejection or hate their former crush forever. Hated child has something good happen to them for once (outside of their parents or sibling being nice to them)? Good for them. The only things you are allowed to reverse (or treat as failure state if you so choose) are both parents dying, or the kids getting taken away.

Have the hated child move away as soon as possible.

Once the favorite child moves out, get them married and have them have kids. Make sure this spouse can have kids. If you have to, you can make a spouse for them in cas.

Rinse and repeat with the favorite child as an heir.

You win once you hit 10 generations. If your sims’ family tree ends before this, then you lose the challenge. You can do this any way necessary.

[charmstwit]

Feels like I'm /really/ testing your generosity at this point but- a drabble of Lionkingstar post sex, Regulus' knot up Sirius and King looking at them like Wow this is divine (or whatever you think his thoughts would be)? Pretty please thank you!! 🥺

Kingsley kicks his shoes off when he walks through the front door. Kreacher takes them and his robes with a Master Kingsley.

“Kreacher, where is Regulus?” Kingsley asks. “Is he already sitting down to dinner?”

“No, sir,” Kreacher says. “Master Sirius arrived about an hour ago, and Master Regulus asked me to hold dinner until he was done. If Master Kingsley would like to eat now, I can prepare a plate?”

“No, thank you, Kreacher,” Kingsley turns toward their playroom where he knows he’ll find the brothers. “I’ll check on them first.”

Kingsley rolls the sleeves on his dress shirt as he walks toward the door. He wonders what he’ll find. What sort of moods are his Little Prince and his omega in tonight? Perhaps they’re on the bed, simply devouring each other. Or, perhaps, Sirius is strapped down to the breeding bench with Regulus filling his arse. Maybe Sirius put Regulus on his knees tonight, filling his mouth until his lips and cheeks are flushed red. Or–

He opens the door before his mind can come up with another scenario, instead taking in the real one in front of him. Regulus is fully dressed, slacks and a dress shirt, though his feet are bare. His shirt hangs open to his naval, his chest and stomach covered with blooming bruises from Sirius’s lips. Sirius, on the other hand, is naked except for the cage around his cock and the ties around his ankles and wrists that hold him to the X-frame. And, of course, except for the tattoos and red welts matching the size of the whip in Regulus’s hand that are decorating his body. They must have been at it for a while given the glaze in Sirius’s eyes and the sweat on Regulus’s brow.

Kingsley walks up to Regulus, who turns to him. “King, my pet showed up for dinner.”

“I see that,” Kingsely says, accepting the kiss Regulus leans up to give him. “It seems that you’ve made a meal of him instead.”

“Quite,” Regulus says. He holds his hand out, offering the whip. “Would you like a turn? He’s great for stress relief.”

“No,” Kingsley says. “Have your fun. I want to watch.” He kisses Regulus again, one hand on his jaw, and feels him smile into it. Instead of retreating to the couch, he approaches Sirius, who has steely grey eyes fixed dozily on him. “Little Omega, you look like you’ve gotten yourself into quite a situation.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Kingsley cups his chin, running the pad of his thumb down his full lower lip until it pulls open and flops back. “May I kiss you.”

“If Maître permits it, yes, sir.”

Kingsley glances back at Regulus, who has his own dazed expression as he watches his two lovers together. “Baby?” Kingsley asks, and Regulus’s attention snaps to him. “May I kiss your omega?”

“Ye–” Regulus coughs, clears his throat. “Yes, you may, King.”

Kingsley turns back to him, claiming Sirius’s mouth in a harsh kiss. He doesn’t fight it, letting Kingsley deepen it, lick into his mouth. Kingsley takes his time exploring before he releases him again. “You taste of Regulus,” Kingsley says.

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Good,” Kingsely says, kissing him softly again.

He retreats then, finding his way to the long leather sofa that sits in front of the X-frame. Kingsley settles into the corner of the sofa, loosening his trousers enough to pull his own cock out.

Kingsley idly strokes himself as he watches Regulus work over his brother. He delivers sharp cracks of the whip to Sirius’s thighs, arse, stomach and arms, letting the bite of the whip sting him, then soothing it with his own hand coated in delicate magic. Sirius cannot take his eyes off of Regulus, such complete and eternal devotion contained in them. Sirius would jump off a cliff if Regulus asked him to right now, not that Regulus would ever ask. He would rather throw himself off than ask Sirius to.

Regulus grips the cage over Sirius’s cock roughly, pulling a whimper from his lips, and Kingsley considers what an unusual pair they are. Utterly besotted with each other, and finally at a place where they can admit their feelings, where they can act upon them. Kingsley knows that he is fortunate to be part of this. He’s not under any mistaken impression of his place here. He is here because they allow him to be. If Regulus were any other alpha, if Sirius were any other omega, they would demand each other’s undivided attention, and he would be, at best, left outside.

“Color, mon chien?”

Sirius inhales a ragged breath. “Green. So, so green.”

“Good.” Regulus flicks his wand, and the bindings on Sirius’s arms and legs release. “Are you prepared to show me how grateful you are?”

“Yes,” Sirius replies.

It earns him a smack on the thigh, and he jumps for it. “Try that again,” Regulus says, his voice deep and dangerous.

“Y-yes, sir!” Sirius replies. “I’m sorry, sir.”

“Make it up to me,” Regulus says. “Get on your hands and knees and crawl to King. Kiss his feet and beg his permission to suck his cock. You may only do so once he says okay.”

Sirius sinks to his knees and begins to crawl across the space, his hips swaying slightly, the little minx. Kingsley glances up to see Regulus roll his eyes, fondly exasperated. With a flick of his wand, a buzzing fills the air, and Kingsley realizes the plug he didn’t know was in Sirius’s arse has just started buzzing.

“Keep moving, pet,” Regulus says. “If you want that cage off before I fuck you, you had better make Kingsley come quickly.”

“Y-yes, Maître.” Sirius resumes crawling, this time without the jaunty sway.

Regulus disappears somewhere behind him, but Kingsley watches Sirius as he reaches his feet. He bends low to the ground, knees together and arse pointed up, and kisses the tops of Kingsley’s feet. “Alpha, may I please suck your cock?”

“Mmm,” Kingsley hedges. “I don’t know you don’t seem like you particularly want to.”

“Oh, Alpha, I do,” Sirius says. “I want to suck you off very much. I want to taste your come on my tongue. Please, sir, I want to make you feel good. I can make you feel good with my mouth, yes? May I, please?”

“You’re so pretty when you beg,” Kingsley says. “Alright, go on then. You may have my cock.”

Sirius crosses his hands neatly behind his back, as Regulus has trained him to do, and takes Kingsley’s cock without using his hands. Kingsley groans, sinking into the hot heat of his mouth. Sirius works his way down Kingsley’s cock, swallowing until Kingsley is lodged in his throat.

Regulus sits on the arm of the sofa, leaning against Kingsley’s shoulder. “He looks good on your cock,” Regulus says, and he hands Kingsley a sniffer of merfolk brandy.

“He does,” Kingsley says, taking a sip. “You look better.”

“Obviously,” Regulus says. He grabs Kingsley’s cup and takes a drink. “How was your day?”

“Long. Exhausting,” Kingsley says. He threads his fingers into Sirius’s hair, pushing his head lower on Kingsley’s cock. “Better now.”

“Good, I’m glad we could be of service.” Regulus passes Kingsley the glass, then tilts his face up to kiss him with a finger under his chin. As they kiss Regulus flicks his wand, and the buzzing noise gets louder.

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Have you ever wanted something that was so clear in your mind That you could taste it?

It's a feeling like a rumbling in your gut That you could finally be faced with A billion needy faces I guess what I mean to say is For the first time in my life I might have to be ready for this Ready to be the one who's leading from the front Gotta come into my own Gotta come into my throne Gotta take charge and defend my only home And although I kinda feel unsteady Now I need to be ready for this

Have you ever felt like you're willing to die To save the people of your city?

('Cause) right now we need a leader And it seems to me that destiny has picked me To be that, if you'll permit me So who's with me? Join up now if you like travel Come on boys, hop in the saddle! Lot of sights to see en route to my hotel Not to mention the camaraderie Yes siree, you'll form life-changing friendships With the folks along the way

For the first time in my life Maybe I can be ready for this I can be the marshal leading the parade I can come into my own And I think I've always known My destiny could never be postponed When Shuriki brings the battle here I must appear like I'm ready for this

She's bound to pass the test as princess of Avalor Like her daddy, she is madly power-fell She's filled with potential that I could guide I concur! Stick with her, you'll be on the winning side

For the first time in our lives We know that we are ready for this We'll show Heaven a fight they won't forget! It is time to take a stand It is time to lend a hand! Against the malvagos and their deadly threat We cannot take it anymore The time has come to go to war Prepare to fight, we're ready for this I really hope that I'm ready for this

[orthodoxydaily]

SAINTS&READING: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2024

september 4_september 17

HIEROMARTYR BABYLAS, BISHOP OF ANTIOCH, WITH MARTYRS URBAN, PRILIDIAN, AND EPOLONIUS, AND THEIR MOTHER CHRISTODULA (251).

The Hieromartyr Babylas and with him the three youths Urban, Prilidian, Epolonius and their mother Christodoula died as martyrs under the emperor Decius (249-251). During his stay in their city of Antioch, the emperor arranged for a large festival in honor of the pagan gods.

At the same time, Babylas, the holy and God-fearing Bishop of Antioch, was serving the Divine Liturgy in church. He prayed for his flock and taught them to endure all tribulations for Christ with courage. The idolater Decius, curious to witness the Divine Mysteries, decided to enter the church.

News of this reached the bishop, so he went out to meet Decius and blocked the path to the church, for he was unwilling to permit impiety in the temple of God. When the emperor approached the church doors, Saint Babylas refused to let him enter, so the emperor had to abandon his intention. He wanted to take revenge on the saint right away, but when he saw the large throng of Christians, he feared they might riot.

The next day the angry emperor ordered that the church be set on fire, and for Bishop Babylas to be brought before him. When asked why he had insulted the imperial dignity by not allowing the emperor to enter the church, the holy bishop answered, “Anyone who would rise up against God and want to desecrate His sanctuary, is not worthy of respect, but has become the enemy of the Lord.”

Decius declared that the holy bishop must worship the idols in order to make up for his lack of respect for the emperor, or else face execution. After convincing himself that the martyr would remain steadfast in his faith, he commanded the military commander Victorinus to put him in heavy chains and lead him through the city in disgrace. The holy martyr replied, “Emperor, these chains are as venerable for me as your imperial crown is for you. For me, suffering for Christ is as desirable as the imperial power is for you. Death for the Immortal King is as precious to me as your life is to you.”

At the trial with Bishop Babylas were three young brothers, who did not forsake him even in this most difficult moment. Seeing them, the emperor asked, “Who are these children? “

“These are my spiritual children,” the saint replied, “and I have raised them in piety, I have given them an education, cultivated them with guidance, and here before you in a small body are these great young men and perfect Christians. Test them and see.”

The emperor tried in all sorts of ways to entice the youths and their mother Christodoula to renounce Christ, but in vain. Then, in a rage, he ordered each of them to be whipped with a number of blows corresponding to their age. The first received twelve blows, the second, ten, and the third, seven. Dismissing the mother and children, the torturer again summoned the bishop, telling him that the children had renounced Christ. He did not believe the lie, however.

Then he commanded all the martyrs be tied to a tree and burned with fire. Seeing the stoic bravery of the saints, the emperor finally condemned them to be beheaded with the sword.

MARTYR HERMIONE, DAUGHTER OF APOSTLE PHILIP THE DEACON (117).

The Holy Virgin Martyr Hermione (Ἑρμιόνη) was one of the four daughters of Saint Philip the Deacon (October 11). She had the gift of prophecy (Acts 21:8), and devoted herself to apostolic labors.

Desiring to see the Holy Apostle John the Theologian, Hermione and her sister Eutykhida traveled to Ephesus in search of the Saint. While on their journey, they learned that he had reposed. Continuing on, the sisters met a disciple of Saint Paul, whose name was Petronius. Emulating him in all things, they became his disciples. Saint Hermione mastered the healing arts, rendering assistance to many Christians and healing the sick by the power of Christ.

At that time, Emperor Trajan (98-117) was waging war against the Persians. When he heard of Saint Hermione's prophetic gift, he stopped at Ephesus in order to have her predict what his future would be. She told him that he would defeat the Persians, and that his son-in-law Hadrian would succeed him as the Emperor of Rome. Then Trajan discovered that Hermione was a Christian, and at first he tried to persuade her to renounce Christ with gentle admonitions. When this did not succeed, he commanded that she should be struck in the face for several hours, but she endured this suffering with patience. Moreover, she was comforted by a vision of the Lord, Who appeared in the form of Petronius, and sitting upon the Judgment Seat.

Convinced that Hermione would continue steadfast in her faith, Trajan released her. Later she built a hospice where she cared for the sick, treating their physical and spiritual infirmities.

Trajan’s successor, Hadrian, also demanded that the Saint be brought to trial for professing the Christian Faith. At first, the Emperor ordered that she be beaten mercilessly, then the soles of her feet were pierced with nails; and finally they threw her into a cauldron filled with boiling tar, lead, and sulphurous brimstone. The Saint bore all this without complaint, giving thanks to God.

The Lord was merciful and the fire was extinguished, the lead poured out, and Saint Hermione remained unharmed. Astonished, Hadrian went to the place of torture and touched the cauldron to ascertain whether it had cooled. When he touched the cauldron, he burned the skin of his hand, but even this did not dissuade the Emperor.

Then Hadrian ordered that she be thrown naked into a large red-hot copper vessel. Her Guardian Angel protected her and put out the fire, which burned those standing around her. The Saint stood in the vessel, as if on dewy grass, singing hymns of praise to the Lord.

When she was removed from the vessel, the Holy Martyr pretended that she was ready to sacrifice to the pagan "god" Hercules. The delighted Emperor had her taken to the temple, but when she prayed to the only true God, a loud thunderclap was heard, and all the idols in the pagan temple fell down and shattered.

In a rage, Trajan ordered that Saint Hermione be led out of the city and executed. Two servants, Theódoulos and Theótimos, were commanded to carry out his orders. Because they were in such a hurry to execute the Saint, they did not allow her time to pray, and their hands were withered. Then they believed in Jesus Christ, and falling at Saint Hermione's feet in repentance, they entreated her to pray that the Lord would heal them and call them to Himself before her martyrdom. By her prayers, that is what transpired. Afterward, she was beheaded and was buried at Ephesus.

Source, all texts: Orthodox Church in America_OCA

[sjsmith56]

The Duel - Chapter 4, Lord Buchanan

Summary: The combatants meet on a mist covered island in the middle of a river and begin their deadly duel of swords. Zemo’s poisoned blade sets up a race against time where Sir Samuel does all he can to keep Buchanan alive until he can be healed by magic. A tryst at a waterfall turns into an incident when two strange men make an attempt against Lord Buchanan.

Length: 5.8K - they’re all quite long as the story was originally published on Wattpad.

Characters: Lord Buchanan, Baron Zemo, Sir Samuel, King Steve, the Sorceress, two strangers from the next kingdom.

Warnings: Minors DNI. This chapter contains content not suitable for readers under the age of 18, including sexual content, violence causing death, Ileana feeling homesick, cursing.

Author’s notes: Photo edit of Bucky Barnes (Lord Buchanan) by Instagram artist nixakimbo. A duel, a race against time, and another sword fight with two adversaries. This is a dangerous world that Ileana has fallen into but she’s not the only modern woman who has landed here. What she does know is that she trusts Buchanan more than any man she has ever met, as he would defend a woman’s honor anytime at the point of his sword. Is he too good to be true? You’ll have to keep reading to find out.

<<Chapter 3

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Ileana woke up before the sun rose and left her bed.  Pulling back a tapestry that covered the window she looked out over the misty covered landscape and wondered where the duel was taking place.  Women were not permitted to attend a duel.  Only the combatants and their seconds would be there.  Resting her chin on the stone edge of the window Ileana hoped that Buchanan would prevail.

Out of eyesight from the castle, Sir Samuel and Buchanan rode their horses towards the river.  Their destination was an island in the middle of the river.  The mist of the morning still hugged the low ground but they could see the top of the island peeking out.  Baron Zemo and his second, his manservant, were already there waiting.

"It's been a long time coming, Buck," said Sam, looking at his friend in the pre-dawn morning light.  "You know he will take advantage of every trick to kill you."

"I know it," said Buchanan.  "He has tested me sorely for many years.  I should have done this when Hannah killed herself.  He was to blame for her death."

"But to do it over a servant?" exclaimed Sam.

"If I can't protect the lowliest person in my care then how will I protect those I love the most?" he replied.  "Promise me, if I die that you will protect Ileana until she returns to her world.  Don't let him touch her."

"I give you my word, brother," said Sam, solemnly.

They crossed at the shallow part of the river and onto the island.  Dismounting, Buchanan touched foreheads with Magnus.

"If I die, old friend, you must stay with Sam, and serve him faithfully," he whispered.

The horse nickered then tossed his head.  Buchanan removed his jacket and laid it across the saddle.  Then he turned and walked with Sam to where the Baron and his manservant waited.

"Well Buchanan, you finally have your chance," said the Baron haughtily.  "No doubt you have been praying for this day to come."

"It's long overdue Baron," said Buchanan with menace.  "Once and for all it will be settled with your death or mine."

"Falconer, you may search me for hidden weapons while my second searches your friend," said the Baron, turning to Sam.  "As agreed, we may each have a rapier and a dagger at our disposal."

Sam began searching the Baron, starting at his shoulders and moving down, looking for hidden pockets in his breeches and knives hidden inside the boots.  As he performed his search the manservant did the same to Buchanan.  Both men stood back and announced they were satisfied with their searches.  Stepping back, Sam and the manservant watched for the first rays of the sun to reach them.  Buchanan and the Baron both drew their rapier from its sheath and waited at the ready for the signal.  Buchanan narrowed his focus to the man in front of him.  Nothing else mattered at this moment.  The sun hit the island making everything gleam in its golden rays.

"Begin," ordered Sam. 

Buchanan and the Baron began circling each other, sizing each other up.  They each made a feint move to the other hoping it would lead to a committed attack from their opponent but both men were too experienced to actually fall for it.  

"I think once I kill you I will kill your bird man then go and pluck that delicious bird in your bed," said the Baron in a mocking tone.

"The King will prevent that," said Buchanan.  "You will be killed before you set foot in the palace."

"He can try," said the Baron.  "Tell me, what is she like in the sheets?  I would ask if she is like Hannah but you never laid with my late wife, did you?"

Despite himself Buchanan was goaded into attacking and received a slash on his arm that cut through his shirt.  Calming himself he went back into a more defensive stance.   As he was stepping back he rolled his ankle on a large rock and stumbled.  The Baron seized on the moment and attacked, slashing and thrusting furiously.  Buchanan regained his footing and charged back, succeeding in slashing the Baron's arm.

The Baron looked at the blood seeping into his shirt with distaste.  "That shirt was one of my favourites," he snarled.  "That little wench I tasted yesterday will have to fix it for me, while I fuck her fully."

"You're such a pig, Helmut," snarled Buchanan, going on the attack again.

The two men were deep into it now slashing and thrusting at each other.  Both were marked multiple times and the blood flowed freely, staining their shirts along with the sweat of their exertions.  Both men stumbled and were pummelling the other with the hilt of their rapiers.  Buchanan was stunned by the last hit, lying back in the dew soaked grass a moment too long.   The Baron stood over him with his rapier pointed at his neck, gloating.  Buchanan kicked out in desperation at the Baron's knee with his boot sending the other man down onto his back.  Slipping his dagger out from his side sheath Buchanan leaped upon him, shoving it into the Baron's chest. As blood gurgled out the Baron's mouth it was obvious the death blow had been struck.

"You think you won," gasped the Baron as his life bled out of him.  "But I got you first, James.  You won't make it back in time."

He laughed at first, then coughed, before dying in the grass, with his eyes open.

"What did he mean?" asked Buchanan, looking up at the manservant, but he was already on his horse ready to flee. 

"Your second didn't check what was on the blade," was all he said as he spurred his horse hard to get out of there.

Buchanan stood up immediately feeling dizzy.  Stumbling to Sam he fell just as he reached his friend.

"Poisoned," he gasped.  "Get the Sorceress."

Sam whistled and a red-tailed hawk appeared from nowhere, landing on his outstretched hand.  Calming the bird, Sam whispered desperately to it then sent it on its way.  Rushing to his horse he searched his saddlebags and found a pouch.  Tearing a strip off of his shirt, he ran to the water's edge wetting it, then poured the contents of the pouch onto the strip of cloth, adding water with his hand to make it into a paste before returning to Buchanan.  Tearing the sleeve where the first slash had been made he applied the poultice and mashed it into the cut forcing the contents into Buchanan's blood stream.

"Buck, stay with me," he spoke urgently to his friend.  "Help is on the way but you have to stay awake."

"Tell my lady that my last thoughts were of her," whispered Buchanan, trying hard to stay awake. "Tell her, Sam, that she meant so much to me."

"You're not going to die, man," yelled Sam, trying not to cry.  "Fight it.  Fight the poison.  Sorceress, where are you?"

He felt the healer’s presence in his mind before he saw her.  "Is he still breathing?" she asked, her voice whispering in Sam's mind.

"Yes, he still breathes," he replied.  "What else can I do?  I put a poultice of dandelion and cat's claw on it."

"Good," she said, her voice sounding louder and clearer.  "That will slow it down.  I'm almost there Sam.  Keep him awake."

He looked down at his friend.  Buchanan's eyes were still blinking but his look was far away as if he was seeing something in the distance.

"Hannah," he whispered.  "I see Hannah, my first love."

"Buck, don't go to her," said Sam, desperately.  "Not yet, stay with me Buck.  Look at me, don't look at her, look at me."

Buchanan turned his head and looked at Sam.  Then he smiled.  "Sam, I see you," he said.  "But you look different."

"Buck, remember when we met?" asked Sam.  "The first time.  Not the second time during the war but the first time when we were but children?"

"We met when we were children, Sam?" asked Buchanan confused.  "When, how?"

"You and your father were selling vegetables at the market," he said emotionally.  "You saw me chained up to the slaver.  You looked me in the eye."

"That was you?" asked Buchanan, looking more clearly at his friend.  "I came back that night and picked the lock."

"You picked the lock, gave me a bag of food and told me to keep to the streams, that there were caves I could hide in," said Sam desperately.  "Eventually I came to the falconer's hut and he took me in, taught me everything he knew because he didn't have a son.  I owe my freedom to you Buck."

Sam was crying now, desperately trying to keep his friend alive long enough.

"Why didn't you tell me this when we met during the war?" asked Buck.  "I always wondered if you got away."

"I don't know," said Sam.  "I wasn't sure it was you at first but the longer we fought together the more I realized that you've always been honourable, since childhood.  You changed my life Buck.  Please stay awake.  The Sorceress is almost here."

The Sorceress rode up onto the island on a beautiful white mare followed by the King.  He dismounted and helped her off the horse leading her over to his friends.

"You've done well, Sam," she said, touching his arm.  "Your poultice is drawing the poison out and your revelation to him drew his interest.  He wants to stay now."

"You heard that?" said Sam.  "He saved me and he was just a boy when he did."

"It inspired you," said the King.  "He did the same for me when his family fostered me.  I was sickly as a child but he protected me, stood up for me and was like my big brother.  Sam, we both owe him.  Sorceress, can you heal him?"

"Sam's already done the hard part," she said, as she lightly ran her hands over his chest and head.  "I'll just neutralize the remaining poison and heal his cuts."

Her hands glowed and as they rested on his cuts they slowly healed them showing no scar.  At the first cut that was made, where the poultice was, the cloth was stained a sickly black and green colour.  She peeled it off and healed the cut, throwing the poultice far away from her.  Buchanan stirred and sat up.  Sam and the King both offered him their hand.  Taking them both he pulled himself into a standing position.

"The Baron is dead," he said flatly, looking at the body lying a few feet away.  "He would have taken me with him."

"Good thing you had a second who had a hawk and knew the healing herbs," said the King.  "The Baron's lands are forfeited and I think his tenants would like a new master.  Sam, do you want to be a Baron?"

"No, but I could be Lord Falcon," he said, drawing himself up fully.  "If that title is acceptable to you, your Majesty."

The King nodded and put his hands on both of his friend's shoulders.  "Let's go make it official then," he said.

After helping the Sorceress onto her mare the three men mounted their horses and rode to the castle.  For Buchanan it was a joyous ride.  He had seen Hannah and knew she was in a better place, not the hell that the church said a suicide would be in.  Someday he would join her but it wouldn't be today.  The revelation that his friend Sam was the slave he had freed as a boy filled him with a sense of satisfaction.  The slaver had looked everywhere for his missing property and had threatened to bring the Mad Titan's wrath on the village but no one seemed to know anything.   His father had suspected that Buchanan had done it, glad his son had known what was right and what was wrong, just as he had done when he accepted the sickly small son of his dead king as his foster son.  For Sam it was a relief to finally reveal his connection to Buchanan and the sense of obligation he had always felt to him.  From slave to falconer to Knight Commander and now Lord he was proud of how he had risen in the world and vowed to live up to the ideals of Buchanan and the King.  For the King it was vindication of the men his deepest friendships were with.  Of royal birth himself he knew the nobility had looked sideways at him when he made Buchanan their equal.  They were going to have a stroke when he invested Sam with his title but he didn't care.  To him the true measure of a man was how he conducted himself and how he treated people.  Both men had risen from humble beginnings and both had proven they had noble hearts and minds.

In the Castle, Ileana had been bathing when Alice rushed in to say the King and the Sorceress had been called to the site of the duel.  Ileana quickly dressed and ran down to the Queen's quarters to learn what had happened.

"The Baron is dead but he poisoned Buck," said the Queen.  "The Sorceress goes to heal him while the King went in the event they were too late.  His affection for Buck is deep and he didn't want him to die alone."

"Oh, Peg, what if he is already dead?" cried Ileana.  "I love him so much."

"All we can do is wait," said the Queen, not bothered by the use of her given name.  "Stay here with me.  Once my morning sickness has passed we'll eat breakfast."

"You're pregnant?" asked Ileana.  "Does the King know?"

The Queen smiled.  "No, I was going to tell him this morning," she said.  "If Buck lives there will be two reasons to celebrate."

When she was certain her morning sickness had abated the Queen ordered breakfast be served and the two women dined.  A servant entered to say the King had arrived in the courtyard with the Sorceress, the Knight Commander and Lord Buchanan.  The group entered the dining hall five minutes later.  Ileana looked at Buchanan in his dirty clothes and torn shirt, wanting to go to him.  Before she could he excused himself to get changed, motioning for her to stay.  No one spoke until he returned ten minutes later in day clothes of grey leather.   Before anything was said he offered Ileana his hand and raised her to a standing position.  Gently he embraced her and kissed her in full view of the King and Queen.

"I'm sorry your Majesties," he apologized.  "It had to be done."

"Quite right, Buck," said the King, smiling.  "Let's get some food into us."

More food was brought out and soon the talk turned to Sam's investiture as Lord Falcon.  The King was concerned that some of the nobility were already jostling in position to be awarded the Baron's lands so he wanted to do it as soon as possible, either that afternoon or the following day at the latest.  The King turned to the Sorceress and asked if she had an opinion on it.

"Tomorrow," she said.  "Tomorrow will be a better day."

"Very well, tomorrow then," he said.  "I will send out the notices today."

"Good," said the Queen.  "There is another notice you may send out today, your Majesty.  I carry your child."

He choked on his food and looked at his wife with wonder.  "You're with child?" he exclaimed.  "How long have you known?  When?"

She laughed.  "A week or two with the morning sickness," she said.  "The Sorceress confirmed it but I swore her to secrecy until we were certain of it's strength.  About seven months from now you will have a son."

The King stood up to lean over the Queen, kissing her full on the mouth.  "Peg, my darling," he said for her ears only, "you surprise me more and more.  I love you most dearly."

The breakfast continued with the laughter and light conversation.  Ileana felt something on her thigh and looked to see Buchanan's hand squeezing her knee.  He leaned to her.

"Come for a ride with me," he whispered.  "There's something I want to show you."

"Well, I did miss it last night," she whispered back.

He smiled.  "Not that, something else, although if you're up for it we can do something there," he said.  "You'll need to change into your riding clothes.  It will be a warm enough day for a swim."

"Will you tell me what happened with the Baron?" she asked.  "Everything?"

"I will, although it will distress you," he replied. 

They were interrupted by a question from the King.  "Buck, I asked if you and Lady Ileana wanted to be alone for a while seeing as how you are returned from near death," he said.

"Yes, your Majesty," said Buchanan.  "We were just discussing that.  I would like to take her to Angel Falls.  With it being so warm out today we can dangle our feet in the waters there."

"That's not the only thing you can dangle there," muttered Sam, just loud enough for Buck to hear.

Buck turned to Sam with a warning expression on his face but his eyes were smiling.  The King caught the exchange and smiled, having taken his wife there several times when they courted. 

"I think that's a good idea," he said.  "Take a pony to carry a lunch and a blanket to lay upon the rocks.  I'll make sure there are no excursions there today.  As for us, Sam and I will plan his investiture with the Bishop."

Buchanan smiled, excusing them both from the table so they could get ready.  He escorted Ileana back to their quarters and sat in the chair of her dressing room watching as she changed out of her day clothes and into her riding clothes.

"I would think you would want me right here in this dressing room," she said playfully as she hung the gown up.

"I do want you," he said.  "But I would rather have you in the waters at Angel Falls.  I am enjoying this display immensely."

She put the stockings and riding skirt on, then the tunic and corset.  Finally she slipped on her boots, ready to go.  He stopped at his dressing room and took a leather satchel off of a shelf, inserting two rolled up drying cloths into it.  By the time they got to the courtyard Magnus was there, saddled and ready for them.  A small pony was tethered to the big horse with a small case attached to each side.  One side had a small feast packed into it while the other had a blanket.  He put the satchel in the case with the blanket, securing it.  Then he helped Ileana up onto the great horse, mounting behind her.   Clicking his tongue they started with an easy pace.  When they were out of view of the castle and well beyond the farms of the tenants Buchanan began to kiss Ileana on her neck and shoulders as he caressed her breasts.

"What are you up to, James?" she asked. 

"Just thinking of something we can do to while away the time until we get to the falls," he said.  "It's making me hard thinking of it."

"What?" she said.  "Tell me."

"Are you wearing your lower undergarment under your chemise?"

"No."

"Good, I'm going to stop and unbutton my pants," he said.  "You're going to turn around and face me, lift up your skirts and mount me.  We'll ride that way to the falls."

"Is that possible?" she asked.

He shrugged.  "I don't know but I'd like to try," he said kissing her neck again.

They stopped and did as he described.  She eased herself onto his hard cock and he grasped her with one hand as she settled in.  He was in deep and the erotic nature of doing it on horseback had aroused her. 

"Feels good to me," he said.  "Are you alright?"

"I think so," she said.  "I'm turned on."

He looked confused for a moment then understood her reference.  Slowly Magnus began walking and Ileana gasped at the movement within her.

"Oh fuck," she whispered.  "That feels good."

"For me as well," he said, looking down at her.  "Kiss me."

She kissed him and felt even more aroused.  When she pulled away his breathing was heavy and he had a hard time concentrating on their path.  He grasped her and began thrusting up into her as Magnus continued walking.  Using his rein hand to support her, with his free hand he sought her breast to mouth.  She helped expose it and he leaned onto her kissing and mouthing her breast.

"Fuck," he gasped.  "I don't know how much longer I can hold it in."

"Come, dammit," she said.  "I'm ready too."

They stopped and finished coming together in a furious fit of pumping and thrusting.  Magnus waited patiently as if it was nothing new to him.  He turned and looked at the pony who was happily munching on the tall grasses next to the path.  The couple held each other kissing and caressing until they were both content.

"That was unexpected," he said drily, then smiling.  "I'm not sure what I expected but that was, what's the expression... something else.  I think we should go back to the way we started.  That was definitely distracting, worth it but we need to get to the falls."

They took a moment to reset themselves although it was more time consuming than when they started it.  Finally they were able to resume their journey and arrived at the falls well before noon.  Buchanan dismounted and helped Ileana off of Magnus to view the spectacle ahead of them.

A wide river on the cliff above fell lazily down, the top of the falls looking like the outspread wings of an angel.  The widest edge of water dissipated quickly but the central portion was more concentrated and resembled an angel's garment.  He looked up at the sun.

"At certain angles of the sun there is a halo above the whole thing," he said.  "The pool below is quite shallow and warms up quickly.  Come, we can get a swim in before the sun is at its highest."

They had to go down a shallow path to get to the water's edge, leading the horses behind them.  Buchanan pulled the cases off the pony but kept it tethered to Magnus' bridle.  He removed Magnus' saddle and saddle blanket, telling the great horse to eat his fill of the tender grasses but not to go far.  Magnus nickered and pulled the pony away to a shady, grassy area. 

Looking at Ileana Buchanan kissed her passionately as he began to undress her.  When she was naked he picked her up and threw her into the pool.  She screamed with laughter then started to splash him as she treaded water.  Quickly he undressed and dove in, coming up right in front of her.

"What do you think of our Angel Falls?" he said, kissing and caressing her.

"It's beautiful," she said.  "I think it would be a popular place for a date."

"What's a date?" he asked.  "I don't think I've heard what that means before. Certainly, Elena never spoke of that term."

"When a man asks a woman out," she said.  "This would be for a date after they've had sex already.  It's beautiful, and private, and warm enough to do this."

She kissed him, stroking his cock until it was hard.  He pulled her close enough to slide it into her, wrapping her legs around his waist.  It was shallow enough for him to stand but he leaned back onto a ledge for leverage and fucked her hard until they both came.  When he released her she swam away from him and positioned herself under the water fall.  The water was much colder than that in the pool and she laughed until it was too much for her, swimming out again.  Buchanan wasn't visible, and she swam to the middle of the pool calling him.  Then she heard him from above and he dove into the deepest part of the pool, coming up beside her again.

"When I was a teenager," she said, "and went to the swimming pool the teenage boys would do stuff like that to impress us girls."

"You bathed in pools together?" he asked.  "Unclothed?"

"No, no," she laughed.  "We had special clothing to wear called bathing suits.  Enough to cover the important parts.  Families would go, or people wanting to use swimming for exercise.  It was a socially acceptable way to see the opposite sex with little clothing on."

"Were you impressed with dives like that?" he asked pulling her close again.

"Oh yes," she said.  "Not that it ever led to anything.  They stayed with their band of boys and I stayed with my group of girls.  Occasionally, one of them would get brave enough to ask one of us out and that couple would have their first date.  But not to a swimming hole like this.  To a movie or the fair."

"Sounds fun," he said.  "Your world seems much kinder to children than mine does.  I was expected to work in the fields with my father from my earliest memories.  It was always work, sunrise to sunset.  Even on the Sabbath we couldn't just play, it was considered sacrilegious.  We were expected to be learning our catechism.  I was lucky, as I was permitted go to school with Steven, our King, starting when I was about eight.  He was a handful to others but mindful of me.  Many others of my age never learned to read or write.  It is one of my great joys to own books."

She smiled.  "My world sounds good," she said.  "But there are many troubled people.  There's so much other stuff that I miss.  Shit.... Can we just sit in the sun for a while?"

She reached into the case with the drying cloths and pulled one out drying her hair then laid it on a flat rock next to the water.  Laying face down on it she folded her arms under her head and began to cry.  He quickly got out of the water, dried off and sat next to her, stroking her back, not saying a word.  Eventually she stopped crying.

"Thank you for letting me get that out," she said.  "Despite all of the problems my world has I miss it.  I miss turning on a hot water tap and flush toilets.  I miss my friends and my mom.  I'm really missing a good coffee.  You're the only thing that is keeping me here and I love you, I truly do, but...."

"But you don't know if it's enough to keep you here," he said quietly.  "I can understand that."

He laid down on his back next to her, one leg bent and shaded his eyes as he looked sideways at her.  She looked back at him and they smiled at each other.

"Do you think there is someone back in my world that is you?" she asked.  "Like I am your wife's?"

"It's likely," he said.  "I'm very jealous of him right now if he exists.  But my wife was a modern woman and you are also.  Perhaps there are several.  If you aren't meant to stay maybe another one is.  Maybe you're meant to be with him when you return."

Magnus gave a snort and Buchanan was instantly on alert, listening for several minutes.

"Put your clothes on, quickly," he said, getting up himself. 

He quickly dressed, making sure his sword was at the ready.  Ileana put her clothing on, just finishing tying her corset when two men wearing green and black rode in.  They looked surprised to see the couple.

"Hold there and identify yourself," commanded Buchanan, his hand on the hilt of his rapier.

"Who are you to command us?" said one of them harshly.

"Lord Buchanan, right hand of the King," he replied.

The two men conferred and raised their hands, showing their open palms.  "Two travellers from the next kingdom," the other one said.  "We've been on the road but heard this pool was a good place to bathe.  We wish you no harm.  If you wish to saddle your horse and take your good wife with you we will wait M'Lord."

Buchanan called Magnus over and saddled the great horse while watching the two men closely.  Then he loaded the cases back on to the pony.  He helped Ileana onto Magnus and mounted himself.  The men backed away and he rode past noticing how they stared hungrily at Ileana.  He made sure they saw his arm around her as he passed.  After about ten minutes travel of constantly looking back, he spoke to her.

"They're following us," he said.  "I will have to cut the pony loose so no lunch for us.  Remember before when I asked you to lean forward?  You need to do that again on my mark."

"Alright," she said, frightened.

He kept looking behind him, then reached into his boot for his dagger.  "Take this," he said.  "Use it if one of them gets close to you.  I will have to fight them on foot."

"James, no, they'll kill you!" she cried turning to him.

"I have to do what I have to do," he said, kissing her on the head. 

He pulled his sword out, cutting the pony loose.  Then he gave her the word, spurring Magnus on.   Ileana lowered herself as did he but he kept looking behind him before making a sound of disgust.  Pulling up fast he jumped off , yelled for her to go, then slapped Magnus' rump and told him to go.  The great horse took off with Ileana holding on to the horse's mane as best she could.  Just as she thought she would fall off a hand reached for the loose rein, pulling the great horse to a stop.  His sides were heaving and it was obvious he couldn't run any more.  She looked up to see it was one of the men and gripped the knife Buchanan gave her as the stranger circled around her on his horse.

"Your husband was right to send you on," he said.  "You are worth a second look."

"Come near me and I will kill you," she warned.  "He certainly will."

"Right," he said, approaching closer.  "By now my friend is sticking your husband and he is drawing his final breath."

He approached too close and Magnus pawed the ground in response.  Ileana wrapped her hands in his mane and squeezed her thighs tight expecting the great horse to rear.  He did just that, startling the other man so that he was almost unseated from his horse.  Turning his horse he tried a different tack but Magnus wasn't having it. 

"Good boy, Magnus," cooed Ileana.

In the distance she could hear the sound of pounding hooves and worried it was the man's partner but it was Buchanan.  When the first man saw him he dropped Magnus' rein and took off.  Buchanan didn't stop, still pursuing the other man.  Ileana reached for the reins, finally snagging them and encouraged Magnus on.  They caught up to where Buchanan was engaged in a sword fight with the other man.  She had seen sword fighting in the movies but the reality was much more brutal.  She was afraid for her lover but could see he was a much better swordsman than the man he faced, eventually dispatching him with a thrust into his belly.  For a moment he bent over regaining his breath, then he loaded the body onto his horse and tied him on.  He came over to her with both horses, tying them onto Magnus.

"They're wearing the uniform of a prince of the Kingdom of Green Lands," he said.  "Likely deserters but the King needs to see this.  The other one can rot where I left him.  I'm sorry our date didn't work out so well."

He mounted Magnus behind her and set off at an easy pace.  Within an hour they were back at the castle where he reported the incident to the King, who came out to see the body and the horses himself.  Although he agreed they were likely deserters he sent two emissaries with the dead man's jacket and the insignias from the horses' saddles as proof of an incident.  It was a day's ride so no answer was expected for several days. 

That night, in bed, James apologized for not keeping her safe.  He was very gentle with her, making love slowly, stretching out the pleasure they took from each other.  He kissed and mouthed her breasts and neck as he pushed himself into her while stroking her legs and bottom.  Her hands touched him as well, confirming they were as soft as her skin.  As they lay together after they came he told her about the Kingdom of Green Lands.

"Two brothers rule the kingdom," he said.  "The older is brave and honourable.  It was he who helped slay the Mad Titan and save my life.  The younger brother is cunning and calculated.  Those two men wore his colours.  I hope their foray into our kingdom wasn't on his bidding."

"Why would he do that?" asked Ileana.

"He can be a troublemaker," replied James, kissing her head.  "I fear this may lead to a war between us, or a civil war for them."

They laid not speaking for a time then he took her face in his hands.

"If you are meant to return to your world, I hope it is before any war starts," he said.  "War is when good men do terrible things and I don't want you to see me in the middle of a war."

Buchanan's admission that the incident could lead to a war worried Ileana. Although, James continued to be gentle with her during their lovemaking she could tell he was troubled. As she drifted off to sleep, she was unaware that he lay awake for some time, worried about how this modern woman could handle being in a medieval war. He had seen some of the Sorceress' visions of wars in the modern world and they seemed terrible in their own right but he was knowledgeable enough to know that the warfare of his world was bloody and brutal compared to hers. He could only hope that Ileana was returned to her world before his world descended into the madness of battle.

Chapter 5>>

Series Masterlist

If you are becoming engaged in this series I have a big ask, especially if you have only been marking the heart to show you like the chapters. Please consider taking it another step and click on the reblog icon. Keep the story fresh on the dashboard and share it so that others can either shake their head at this creation or wonder how this strange story grew from the imagination of a woman who loves the character of Bucky Barnes. If you’re not ready for that step … it’s okay. It’s scary reblogging something for the first time, or wondering whether you are brave enough to actually write a comment that someone else might read. I understand completely. If all you can do is click on the heart, I’ll take it because it means you like it and that is all I want as a fanfiction writer.

[storiesbymay]

«Greetings. I am the Chief Justice, or 'Iudex' of Fontaine, but you can address me simply by using my surname, 'Neuvillette'. Not because I want to keep my distance from you.... No, I am simply aware that excessive familiarity might call into question the impartiality in the eyes of some people. I am here as a school headmaster and teacher-in-charge of the Hydro class, and I pledge my seriousness and professionalism in exercising both roles in order to ensure the welfare of students and faculty. If you have any requests or concerns, then - at least to the extent permitted by law - we can sit down and discuss them together. I would prefer that you address your teacher first, if possible, if you have an impending difficulty. My intervention will be limited to matters of utmost urgency. I see the value of my work, but I also see the significance of all my colleagues' efforts. I do not doubt their competence and friendliness. I believe I will continue to take pride in carrying out my duties. I must congratulate you on the splendid work you did in the initial entrance test. Many already knew their fates, some dreamed of joining another family, no doubt encouraged by the idea of doing good. Well, all of you have shown great awareness of your abilities and the desire to improve, which I assure everyone present once this useful experience is over. A first task was entrusted to you: to elect the elementary representative, the bearer of your voice. I officially open the election week and leave you with the wish for a great first academic year!»

I am so excited to present this work, which has been planned for months. I am not sure how much visibility it will enjoy because it is a bit challenging, long, complex. I hope it will be worth it. In the meantime, I would like to thank my teapot companion, @𝐓𝐄𝐖𝐒𝐃𝐀𝐘, who during a fun co-op motivated me to continue.

This is for you, bruh. *muah*

This is just a taste, an introduction to the real project, but the fact that I managed to publish it already makes me very satisfied.

The tags will be updated as we go along. The rating will probably reach the adult audience, but there will be warnings.

If you will indulge with me in this adventure, then welcome! I hope you will enjoy it!

If you have a special request, please ask me in the comments here or in pm. I will include it here or in a separate spinoff!

LINK: https://archiveofourown.org/works/56881615/chapters/144631591

[l3m0ngal5]

Off screen:Have you ever wanted something that was so clear in your mind that you could taste it?

???:You mean like human flesh?

Off screen:Eh, sort of

It's a feeling like a rumbling in your gut that you could finally be faced with

A billion needy faces

I guess what I mean to say is, for the first time in my life

I might have to be ready for this

Ready to be the one who's leading from the front

Gotta come into my own

Gotta come into my throne

Gotta take charge and defend my only home

And although I kinda feel unsteady

Now I need to be ready for this

Have you ever felt like you're willing to die to save the people of your city?

???:By "Die, " do you mean use my teeth to rip flesh apart?

Off screen:That's a start!

'Cause right now we need a leader

And it seems to me that destiny has picked me

To be that, if you'll permit me, so who's with me?

Wouldn't it be super to see more of Hell?

Join up now if you like travel

Come on boys, hop in the saddle!

Lotta sights to see en route to my hotel

Not to mention the camaraderie

Yes siree, you'll form life-changing friendships

With the folks along the way

Benny:And feast on all the angels you can eat

Peanut gallery:Okay

Free food!

I'm in!

Oh-whoa, It's food!

Nom-nom-nom

It's time now to act!

They're on the attack!

When they move to strike, we will fight biting back!

We'll follow your lead, we're eager to feed!

We'll sharpen our teeth for the heavenly feast

From this moment on, you can count on us

To be resolute and ravenous

Our appetites are whet and we're set to seize the day

So I say, oh hey, come join the flesh buffet!

Off screen:Well, that's a little violent, can we tone it down?

Champagne:Oh, don't be put off by their snarlin', that's enthusiasm, darlin'!

Off screen:Eh, they just seem a little murdery right now

Champagne:Don't worry, honey, that's their thing

Keep singing

Champagne and off screen:We're super-duper grateful

To have you folks aboard

Peanut gallery:We can't wait to taste an angel's wings!

Off screen:Oh, lord

For the first time in my life

Maybe I can be ready for this

I can be the marshal leading the parade

I can come into my own, and I think I've always known

My destiny could never be postponed

When Adam brings the battle here

I must appear like I'm ready for this

Champagne:They're dancing along

They're singing his song

Benny:Surprised? Why, I knew he could do it all along

Benny and champagne:he's bound to pass the test as prince of Hell

Like his daddy, he is madly power-fell

Benny:he's filled with potential that I could guide

Champagne:I concur! Stick with him, you'll be on the winning side

Benny champagne and off screen:For the first time in our lives, we know that we are ready for this!

We'll show Heaven a fight they won't forget! (Ah, ah, ah)

It is time to take a stand!

Off screen:It is time to lend a hand! (Huzzah!)

Against the angels, and their deadly threat!

All:We cannot take it anymore

The time has come to go to war

Prepare to fight

We're ready for this!

Off screen:I really hope that I'm ready for this

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 This song of these three is I don't have the words just yes